Red Eyed Beauty
by novacaineorchids
Summary: All Annabelle wants is to get out of Volterra so she can get home to her love. But it seems as a group of red-eyed vampires might get in her way.
1. The Alleyway

**Hey Everyone! This is my first fanfic, so give me a break. This chapter is short and simple, but it gets a lot better as it goes on. Enjoy!**

**Chapter one: The Alleyway**

Sometimes life seems to go your way, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes it tricks you into thinking that good is evil, or evil is good.

I certainly misjudged this.

The "Golden Opportunity" of being in a musical in Volterra seemed to be a chance to be heard in this world, and a chance to show my true colors. Little did I know that this "Golden Opportunity" was a crappy old theater in the worst part of town, full of screaming Italians and the sound of my life going down the drain.

And that's not even the worst part.

The worst part is that I was separated from the only person that mattered in life. My heart. My soul. My reason for being.

Daniel.

"_It's only six months," I said while packing the remaining articles of clothing left in my closet. "And besides, I have a phone. You can call anytime you want."_

"_I know." He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to his chest, "But I don't know how I will live without you. You are everything to me. What will I have when you are gone?"_

_I kissed him softly, "You can visit anytime you want."_

_He smiled, "I will."_

_He then brought his lips back to mine. I broke away but kept my forehead pressed against his. I ran my fingers through his short brown hair._

"_I love you." I murmured, almost too soft to hear._

"_I love you more." He smirked, and pressed his lips to my forehead._

I didn't realize I was crying until I lost my vision from the tears. _Just four more months to go,_ my mind told me, _what is there to worry about?_

I shook my head. I was fine. These four months were going to zoom by quickly, and I would see my Daniel in no time. I continued to walk along the dark vacant street, grateful of the streetlights to guide the way to my old apartment on the street corner. All I wanted was to go home, take a bath and to watch corny italian soap operas. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I picked it up eagerly, already knowing who it was.

"Daniel?"

"Annie! How's my favorite girl?"

I smiled. He called me at this time every day, having a reminder in his phone to do so exactly at the time. I was up early in the morning to late at night, singing till my throat hurt, trying to communicate with the few Italian words I knew to the director and staff and memorizing hundreds of lines until I could recite them in my sleep. The only time I could talk to him was at ten o'clock at night, being 4 at our home in Boston.

"I'm doing okay I guess," I confessed, my heart breaking at the sound of his voice, "It's hard, the work I mean. All of the singing and dancing and trying to live up to everyone's expectations. It's hard being here without you," I fumbled at my words, "I mean, how could you want to stay with me? I am living on the other side of the world, while you could be with some other girl living a mere five minutes away from you and get to see her every day instead of having to call--"

"Annabelle Marie Davis," He interrupted my rant, "Do you really think that I would want to be with anyone else but you? I love you. I always will love you. Don't ever forget that. Besides, the lady next door to me is an old hag cat lady. I'm not sure I would be too happy living with _that_." I laughed, "But really, baby, who else is there but you? You are the most beautiful girl in the universe. I am the luckiest man alive to have you."

"I miss you," I murmured.

"I miss you more,"

"I can't wait to see you. The director says that if I did a good enough job in the final performances that he would send a recommendation for me to that Broadway musica- in- wha- DAMMIT!" my phone made a few beeping noises before it died. I leaned against the brick wall, slowly sinking to the floor with my head in my hands. _Breathe Anna, Breathe._ But my heart had other ideas, painfully breaking in two. I choked as the first tears fell, sobbing as their trails ended and dripped off my cheek onto the pavement. I took a deep breath to steady myself and started to get up when I heard strange voices coming from the small alleyway to the right of me.

"How was the roundup?"

"Good. I got about 30 today."

"I hope they taste good."

"They _always_ taste good, Demetri."

"Last weeks humans tasted, how do I say this? _Boring._ I need a variety in blood, Heidi. You know that."

Humans? Blood? Odd. They didn't sound like they were joking either. I sat up a little more so I could hear better.

"At least Gianna is over her newborn blood craze. There was never anything left by the time we got there."

"I'm going to kill her if she does that again."

"I'll help."

I suddenly lost my footing behind the wall and came tumbling right in front of the two people, landing right on my face. At least they couldn't see me blushing. "I'm s-sorry," I stuttered, trying to run from the situation. A cold hand grabbed my arm, pulling me back to look at the two people.

A _very_ cold hand. Unnatural.

They were amazingly beautiful, perfect symmetrical faces set with deep burgundy eyes. The woman was wearing a pink tank top and denim mini skirt, matched with black fishnets and matching high heels. The man was wearing a simple black cloak that went all the way down to his feet.

I stared in pure horror at the two creatures. They matched my expression, talking almost too quick to hear what they were saying.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know! Did she hear anything?"

"She heard _everything_. Just look at her face!"

"Should we kill her now?"

"And blow our cover? We've been here for hundreds of years. We can't ruin it now!"

"Let's take her to Aro. He'll know what to do."

They began tugging at me. When I didn't move, Demetri grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder. I started screaming and kicking, but he just held me tighter. I shut down in his arms.

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**Okay, I admit it. Bad ending. But I had to end here. It's not _that _bad. Review please! If you do I will give you a cookie and a big smile! :D**


	2. Fear

**I promised a friend that I would post another chapter today, so here it is. It's a bit short, but that's only because this chapter and last were more set-ups than anything else. The chapters after these are much more interesting, don't worry. So, without further to do, Chapter two**

**Chapter 2: Fear**

They moved at an amazing speed, going through a manhole and into a hallway underground, never slowing down as they burst through a set of doors into a brightly lit room that looked to be a front office. A woman behind a desk came up to us, her red eyes glaring at me.

"Who is this?" she demanded, stopping in Demetri's tracks.

"It's just a girl we found on the street. No big deal." He replied, but the tone of his voice made it seem like it _was_ a big deal.

"Gianna, move out of our way. We need to see Aro. It's urgent." Heidi pushed Gianna away as we continued down another narrow hallway. We turned a corner, pushing through wooden double doors into a large office.

I stopped breathing.

The room was filled with red-eyed men and women, all of them amazingly beautiful. They were all wearing black cloaks, and the strange looks on their faces obviously signified that I was not welcome. I wanted to run from the room, run as fast as I could from the red-eyed creatures and get home to Daniel. But I knew that was impossible.

The three in front were the only ones not in shock. Their faces were calm, almost sullen, and I realized that they must be the leaders. The one in the middle had long black hair, and his eyes were fixed straight at me. The one on his left had the same hair, but his features were slightly different. The one on his right has long white hair, and seemed to be disinterested in me.

"Well," the one in the middle mused, "Who is this green–eyed beauty?"

I refused to meet his gaze. I could feel my eyes burning with fear, and at this moment, fear was the enemy. Evil feeds off fear, and even though I didn't know if they were evil, my instincts told me to flee. But I couldn't. I tried to mask my weakness, and show that I was not afraid. I looked up at the strange man. He seemed to believe my act, and he gestured to the cold creatures to let go of me. I collapsed to the floor. Demetri went up to the man and held his hand out, "Aro," he said, a serious look on his eye.

"Demetri," Aro replied, grabbing his hand and lowering his head down, closing his eyes. He stood perfectly still for a few moments, then slowly lifted his head up, letting go of his hand and looking straight at me.

"What is your name, strange one?" he spoke in a friendly but terrifying tone.

I knew I only had seconds to act. I sprang up, dashing to the door, running quicker than I ever had before. But something stopped me. I collapsed to the floor. The pain was incredible. Stabbing, throbbing pains ran through me like waves, each one worse than the one before. I looked up with agonizing pain to see a small girl appear from the back of the crowd, a menacing smile growing on her face. "He asked, what is your name?"

Another wave ripped through me. "A-annabelle. Annabelle M-marie D-dav-viss." I muttered, the pain impacting my motor skills. It slowly went away, the waves dying down until they were no longer there.

She smirked at me. "Well, Annabelle, wouldn't that have been much easier if you had just comprehended? I really don't want to have to do that again." I nodded slowly, my eyes still clenched tightly closed. "Now get up." She spat, walking towards Aro. This time, I comprehended.

**Like it? I hope so! If you review I'll give you a cookie! I promise! **


	3. Imprisonment

**This Chapter is dedicated to Bella and Katie, my two weirdo friends who read my story and beat me to write chapters. So here it is, chapter 3.**

Chapter 3: Imprisonment

I was there for two weeks.

Two weeks of laying in a dark cold room in an unknown place filled with hauntingly beautiful faces and chilling crimson eyes. The only contact I had with anyone was a little boy I soon learned was named Alec, who would give me a slice of bread (or two if he was in a generous mood) once a day. The room they kept me in was good size, consisting of only a rocking chair and a cot with no blanket. The only light that came through was from a crack in the wall, and even that only gave me enough light to see a small outline of the room. No one acknowledged my existence in the strange place. Well, except for Alec.

And every night I had the same nightmare.

It meant nothing, and probably wouldn't have been terrifying to anyone else, but they scared me just the same. It was Daniel, standing in my room with his eyes closed. His face expressionless.

"Daniel!" I would scream, running to him at full speed and hugging him tightly. He would hug back, and every night I knew the end was coming, but I couldn't wake myself up. He would let me go a little so I could see his face, and he opened his eyes.

And those dreadful ruby red eyes of his made me wake up screaming every night.

I was sick of this. I couldn't take this anymore. I wanted to know why I was here, and why they would not let me leave. I finally gathered enough courage to voice my questions one night as Alec came to give me a slice of stale bread.

"Alec?" I croaked hoarsely. He turned around, his face dull and uninterested. I cleared my throat, "I want to know what's going on Alec. I've been here two weeks. Why not just kill me if you don't want me to leave?"

He stared for a long moment, and murmured, "I've been asking the same thing." The door closed slowly.

"You want answers?" I jerked up, startled as I looked around for the mysterious voice. The man that had stood next to Aro that first fateful day was sitting in the rocking chair, the dull moonlight showing through the crack just barely showing his face. "We all want answers," he continued, "Aro believes that you have potential, he wants to keep you a little longer until he can decide." He got up from the chair and leaned over my cot, his face inches from mine. "I don't see anything in you, but Aro insists." He sneered, and stood straight, "Before I can give you answers, you must ask questions."

I trembled "W-who are you?"

The man sighed, and looked straight into my eyes. "My name is Marcus, and I am a vampire."

Dawn seemed to appear earlier than usual. My sleepless nights dragged on and what seemed like days was merely minutes. Marcus spent the whole night explaining everything, from what they were to why I was there.

"So you see, we could not let you go," Marcus explained. "Even if you didn't know what was going on, we could not take any chances. Most of us wanted to kill you. We did not want any problems." He looked at me and smiled, "But I'm glad we didn't kill you, you are very interesting."

I looked at him warily, "Will I ever be able to go home?"

His glance went to the floor, "No. I'm sorry."

I fought back the tears trying to escape my eyes.

"I know this is hard for you. Your home, you family, your life is all gone now. You can never go back. This is your life now." He sighed. "We are not bad people. We are trying to keep our existence a secret. Could you imagine what would happen if we were found out? Chaos, that's what. Now, I'm not saying that you would ever tell anyone about us, because you seem like a good person. But as I said, we cannot take any chances."

I nodded slowly. "When will I be able to leave this room?"

He smiled as he held up a pair of keys. "Now"

We walked through the hallways quickly, me standing behind Marcus using him as a shield. I looked around me and saw red pools of anger staring back at me. We turned a few corners until we reached the office I saw the first day I was there. Aro and the man Marcus told me was named Caius were standing in front of me. Alec and the girl were standing behind them, followed by Heidi and Demetri. They all glared at me at once.

I felt like this was the first day at the theater all over again.

"Hello, my green-eyed beauty," Aro spoke in his all too friendly voice, "Marcus has told you what we are, and it is now time for us to decide what to do with you." Marcus moved from his space beside me and touched Aro's hand. His head bowed for a moment before looking back up with a big smile on his face. "Interesting," he murmured, moving towards me. "You really aren't scared." He turned to the vampires behind him, "You see? She really should take Gianna's job. She should be placed within the guard, and we will have Anna here," He gestured towards me, "Take the job as secretary,"

They all stared at me for a long moment before Caius spoke, "This is ridiculous Aro. The girl does not belong here. We should just kill her now." He stepped back.

Aro looked at Marcus, "And you?"

Marcus smiled at me "We should keep her. She's a good kid. She'll be good for us.

Aro then turned his gaze to me. "And you?"

I froze. He wanted me to speak? What should I say? I cleared my throat, "D-don't kill me. Please."

"Ha ha ha!" Aro chanted, clapping his hands together, "It seems as the girl can speak. What do you say? Should we give the girl a chance? Or do we have her die? We shall vote. Alec." He called to the boy. He stepped forward.

Everything went black.

I couldn't hear, see, smell, anything. I could move, but that got me nowhere since I could not go anywhere. I tried to cry out, but I didn't know if I succeeded. This lasted for about 10 minutes until I regained composure of myself. Everyone had shuffled around so alec was in the front next to Aro.

He smiled a menacing smile "We have decided,"

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**Review please!! I will not post another chapter until I get 5!! A special thank you to all my readers. You are amazing!**


	4. Safety

**5 reviews! OMG! Thanks you guys (yeah I know I'm weird for celebrating such a little number, but whatever.) This one is short and simple, but good will come soon!**

**Oh, and since I forgot to tell you for three chapters. I do not own Twilight, but I do own a whant (a whale/ant baby)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Safety**

"How would you like to be our secretary?"

I let out a sigh of relief. I was going to live! Aro led me out the doors to Gianna's desk in the front office. Gianna looked up at us, a huge smile spread across her face.

"Thank you Aro," She said, standing up.

"Gianna, my dear," He replied calmly, "You need to teach little Anna here the basics of her new job."

"Yes sir."

"Anna dear," Aro looked at me, "You are now part of the Volturi. You tell anyone about us, you die. If you try to escape, you die. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands together. "You will start tomorrow morning. In the meantime, why don't you clean yourself up and get some rest? Alec will show you to your room." Alec glowered at me before leading me through a door across the room.

He led me through a hallway (so many hallways!) until we reached a room with a wooden door. He unlocked the room with a set of keys and stepped back.

My jaw fell open.

The room was painted a baby blue, with white doors. A twin bed was in the corner of the room with a quilt matching the walls. There was a rocking chair in the corner, and a bookshelf with a built-in desk covering the wall opposite. There was a closet and a bathroom opposite to where the bed was.

I stared in awe at the beautiful room, not noticing when Alec left. I walked in, shutting the door behind me. Walking into the bathroom, I looked at me reflection for the first time in two weeks.

God, I was a mess

My blondish-brow hair was halfway out of the messy bun I had put it in and looked nearly dark brown, considering I desperately needed a shower. My eyes were bloodshot and I had serious dark circles. I was happy to see that they were still green.

The bathroom (thankfully) had everything I needed, from a toothbrush to shampoo. I turned on the shower and let the scalding hot water burn my back. I stayed in until my hands became raisins. I grabbed a towel and walked into the closet. There were a few clothes in there, mostly old t-shirts and ripped jeans. I grabbed a pair and a shirt that read "Volterra Horrorfest" (oh, the irony in that)

I laid in bed all day reading the books from the massive bookshelf. None of the books really grabbed me, but at least it was something to do instead of just sitting around. I got through G in the novels before I fell into a deep slumber.

My dream that night was different. It started the same, running to Daniel and collapsing in his arms. But this time when he looked at me, I did not scream. He looked at me and smiled. "Don't be afraid," he murmured, playing with my hair "Everything is going to be alright," He kissed my forehead and then disappeared. For the first night in two weeks, I did not scream when I woke.

I opened my eyes slowly, still getting used to seeing daylight. I looked at the clock on the wall. 7:00. I layed back down and stared at the wall.

Life had changed very drastically in the last few months. First it was moving from Boston to Volterra for this theater deal. Then being taken by the vampires as prisoner. And suddenly I'm their secretary. It took all that time to finally realize that I could handle this. I had the strength to overcome this. Sure, I would miss Daniel like crazy. I would cry over him like I had all this time. But I would be okay. I would live.

Yes. I would overcome this.

A loud knocking disturbed my train of thought.

"Get up. You have until 7:30 to be ready and outside your door. Time for work."

I sighed. This was going to be a long day.

**Yes I know, short and sort of uninformative. You try writing a chapter in math class with a crazy teacher. (Oh Ms.C haha) Anyhoozers, Life has been extremely difficult lately. School has been hectic, volleyball keeps me busy, and now this new responsibility is just a big pain in the butt. I love writing, don't get me wrong, but I have been really stressed lately. I will try to keep you all updated at least once a week. Next one will come Wednesday of Thursday, but only if I have ten reviews by then :) See ya on Wednesday loves!**

**-Nova**


	5. Awakening

**I _was_ waiting for 10 reviews...but I love you all too much to wait. Plus, the strangest thing happened the other day. I was spacing out in spanish class (as usual. I really don't like that class ) then suddenly, OOH! this whole scene played out in my head. I quickly grabbed my notebook and pencil and wrote the first half of this in my book. When I got home I forgot about my homework (I had study hall today, so whatever) and wrote the rest. That night I was wide awake in bed thinking about it (that HAS to mean something) This is my favorite chapter so far, and hopefully yours. So here you are, chapter 5 of Red Eyed Beauty.**

**Oh and by the way. I'm not Stephenie Meyer. Just in case any of you were wondering :p**

**Chapter 5: Awakening**

Things seemed to go much quicker now that I had something to do. My job was simple, really. I just had to greet people, track our "fisherman" on the screen before me, and make sure no one knew what was going on.

Life was pretty easy.

As I watched the little dots blinking on the computer screen, I thought about just the simple concept of vampires. Three months ago, I would have said that vampires did not exist. They were just a stupid myth created to scare little children. Oh, how I was wrong.

"Blue is Heidi, yellow is me." Gianna had told me my first day on the job. "When we get back here, you need to record how many humans we bring back with us. You see these?" she pointed to a cufflink on her right wrist. It had a silver crest on it, with two lions leaning over the shield in the middle. The word "Volturi" was in a banner across the top. "This is our crest, proof that we are part of the Volturi. Don't trust anyone here that does not have this on."

"But I thought that the cloaks signify that." I replied.

She shrugged, "Anyone can get these kind of robes," she gestured to the one Aro gave her just a few moments before. "But those, they are original. You can't find them anywhere else."

I stared at the one I now had, glinting in the lights. I couldn't help but smile. I couldn't say that I was happier than I was before I came, but at least now I was happy. Things were different. I could relax and joke around, and not be afraid I would be killed if I did so. Marcus became a close friend of mine, coming by my desk and making small talk whenever he could. He was my best friend. Gianna was nice too. She understood my situation, so she kept me informed with what to do while I was here.

Not everyone was so friendly though.

Jane always tried to make sure that I had a bad day. Randomly during the day I would get these sharp pains, sometimes to the point of tears. The first day I talked to her all she said was "I don't like you. Don't ever expect me to." She shot me with more pain and was off. Alec was not a saint either. He never spoke a word to me as he would escort me to my room and to my desk everyday. Sometimes if he got aggravated he would make me lose all my senses and I would wake up in some hallway I did not know.

Gianna walked in with three men trailing behind her. She smiled and nodded at me. I nodded back as I added three to the "prey count".

It was very dangerous to be human here. Even though I was technically part of them, accidents _did_ happen. A few times Marcus had to escort me to my room when Felix walked by after feeding.

Felix hated me, too.

I was hoping that I would become a vampire here. It was not what I really wanted. Getting out of here would be best. But I lost hope in that months ago. There was no way I could live very long as a human. I just wished that if they changed me, it would be soon.

Aro walked in and smirked at me. "Hello, my little green-eyed beauty," he nearly sang.

"Aro," I replied, sticking my hand out for him. He gladly took it into his translucent one and lowered his head in concentration. It had terrified me the very first time he had done this. I flabbergasted when he was able to tell me who my science teacher was my freshman year of high school, and speechless when he gave me a description of Daniel's face.

Now that he had done it so many times, I was not affected. There were no secrets kept here, and there was no way I could change that. He looked up at me, "Fascinating!" He said, "Continue on with your day then." He walked away as I sat back in my chair.

I looked back at the screen. The blue dot was nearing the entrance to the underground entrance leading up to this room. I clicked on the prey log when Marcus appeared in front of me.

"Hello,"

"Hi," I replied, not paying attention much to him.

"How has your day been?" He leaned against the desk; a motion that was not really necessary considering he never got tired.

"It's been fine," I replied, shuffling papers around my desk, "The same as everyday, I guess. Nothing new happens, so what els-" I stopped suddenly.

My heart shattered in pieces.

Heidi walked in, no men following behind her, no couples looking for a tour of the city, not even an adult trying to stall some time before work.

It wasn't even an adult.

A small boy, maybe about two years old, was holding Heidi's hand, waddling along the tile looking up at Heidi. He looked nervous, scared even.

"We see momma now?" The boy asked Heidi. She smiled at him "Almost. I first need to talk to this nice lady." The boy seemed to approve, nodding and looking at the floor. I jumped from my chair and stood face to face with Heidi.

"What are you doing, Heidi?" I asked, shocked and confused.

She replied with a friendly tone "I was just taking little Brian here down to see his mommy," she winked at me, "Isn't that right, Bri?" He nodded, looking back at me and waving.

Brian. That's what Daniel and I were going to name our first son. Brian. Brianbrianbrianbrianbrian.

"How could you?" I squeaked.

She shrugged, "Bri just needed to get home to his mommy. What's the problem?"

"No," I whispered.

She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry for whatever I did, but if you excuse me, I need to take Bri to the room."

"NO!" I lunged at the child, trying to protect him. Heidi dashed in front of me, blocking my way. I pulled and pushed, trying to reach for the child until Marcus grabbed a hold of me and pulled back.

"NO!" I thrashed against him, biting and kicking," You can't do this to him! He's so young! No, please!" I broke down, sobbing, "Please. H-he's s-so young."

"Come on, Anna," he spoke softly, "Let's get you to your room."

"N-no" but we were there by the time I finished. He carried me to my bed, where I broke down and sobbed into his chest.

"Shhh Anna, Shh," He cooed, pulling me closer, "It's okay, you're okay."

"N-no," I shook my head. "H-he's gonna die."

"I know."

"And he can't die." I whispered, "Not now. Not yet."

"I know." His voice was pained, "But that's just life, Anna. You live, you die."

"It's not fair."

"I know."

We sat there for ages, my tears seeping into his black robe. He continued trying to soothe me, and eventually his voice coaxed me to sleep. He stayed through the night, making sure I was okay. Though my soul craved another embrace, his cool one kept myself from completely falling apart.

As I slept, I dreamt of Brian, happy and joyful, running in a park. But the sky turned gloomy and dark as a red-eyed woman in a grey cloak came up to the boy, pouncing on him and sucking his life through her teeth.

I woke up screaming.

**Oh yes, definitely my favorite. As I say every time, reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks to Bella, Katie, Moonie (you know who you are, you have a nickname now! yay!) Amanda, and Piggie (You too!) for reviewing! Do it again! :p hehe. See you later alligators!**

**-Nova aka the girl who now loves spanish class**


	6. Silence

**Some notes before you read:**

**1. I know that Marcus is OOC, but for my story to work, he has to be. Plus, I don't think he is too much. Anna just brings out the good in him.**

**2. I also know that Anna has a resemblance to me. I need to assure you she is not like me. She is a strong girl who has more will than anyone I know. Also, she is slimmer. nuff said :D**

**3. I was going to post yesterday, but because of my birthday (happy birthday to me!) I had to go to dinner, so no post. Oh well, you get it now.**

**Here it is, Red Eyed Beauty chapter 6.**

**Chapter 6: Silence**

When I was five, my newborn brother died. My mother cried and cried, and soon fell into depression. I stayed silent. I did not cry. I did not talk about him. I did not even think about him. I saw what my mother was going through, and I wanted no part in it. She stopped eating. Sleeping all of the time, she did not talk to my sister and I. She would not even talk to my father. We begged her to eat, to talk, to do _something_. But she did not listen to us.

Three months after my brother died she followed suit. I was only five.

I stayed silent then too.

And now I was silent., not letting myself grieve over the little boy who lost his life at such a young age two weeks before. I did everything I was supposed to, working every day and counting the innocent souls who life was going to end.

I could tell Gianna and Marcus were concerned. Gianna checked up on my more often, making sure I didn't try to hang myself, I suppose.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked.

Silence.

"I brought you some tea." She set the cup next to me. I traced the rim with my finger before taking a sip. Delicious.

"Thank you," I murmured, finally noticing the melancholy tone in my voice.

She smiled, the delight not hitting her eyes. "There she is!" she tried to sound more excited, but she failed miserably. "Let me know if you need anything." She patted my hand and walked off, her grey cloak trailing behind her.

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. I thought they were good vampires (well, as good as vampire can get). They were so kind to me, so generous. Now, all I felt was hate.

I knew it was irrational; Heidi was the only one to blame. But the fact that they all would do the same thing, to kill the innocent for their own selfish needs- it just made my heart ache.

Gianna and Marcus were the only people I trusted anymore. Heidi had vexed me, causing a lot of hatred to roam the halls. Jane's pain got worse, and Alec's blackouts were more frequent and for longer times. Felix gave me dirty looks, and Demetri ignored me.

My defense for my kind had put me in more trouble than ever before.

Aro overall was not affected by the outburst. He simply walked through the hallways as if there was nothing wrong.

"Hello," Aro came over and took my hand, no waiting for a response. After a few moments, he looked up, a serious look on his face.

"This is not the only death you will see, Anna." He stared deep into my eyes. "People die here all of the time. This is your new life, Anna, and you can either live it or die with them." I gawked in horror at his words.

"Well then," He clapped his hands together, "I shall be off, then." He strode away swiftly. I looked up at Gianna. She shrugged.

Being with Marcus was the worst. Ever since that night I had given him the silent treatment. I cared a lot about him, and when he looked at me, my heart would ache. He did not acknowledge me as he would walk by, and it pained us both.

That night I went to bed early. I was tired, but somehow I could not get to sleep. My mind was busy working. Aro's words had frightened me, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief that at least one person was trying to make sense of me.

Would I act that way if I become a vampire? Would I prey upon the innocent, the needy, the young? No, I shook my head. I would not let myself act that way. There had to be another way. There had to be.

"Anna?" I heard a voice call from outside the door. "Can I come in?"

Marcus.

"Yes," I replied. What did he want at two in the morning?

"I need to talk to you," He shut the door and sat at the edge of the bed. He motioned me to join him. He sighed and looked up at me. "Anna, have I ever told you what my power is?" I shook my head. He hesitated, "I can sense relationships. I know how one feels about another. " He sighed again, "Would you like to know what I see about you and me?" Did I? I nodded anyway. "I-I," he stopped for a moment, "I see, mixed emotions. A friendship certainly, but there is something more. I cannot tell if it is love, but something I've never felt before. I just want to know, I mean, I feel like, I-I-I-" He trembled, and looked into my eyes. His were smoldering, "Anna, I love you."

I froze. No.

"It's ridiculous, I know." He chuckled nervously, "I'm just like that stupid Cullen boy," He mumbled. "Could you at least, maybe, give me a try? I know I am not the greatest, but-" he stopped and stared deep into my eyes.

"Annabelle," his voice was husky. I trembled. He slowly leaned in. I did the same.

Could I really love this man? Could I really replace David with him?

He brushed his lips lightly against mine.

Daniel playing the guitar. Daniel eating popcorn. Daniel laughing. This thoughts ran through my head as his lips moved against mine. No. I could not love this man. He was not Daniel.

And I would never see Daniel again.

He pulled away, murmuring my name in my ear, his cool breath making me shiver.

Hate possessed my heart. How dare he make me do this. How dare he make me care for him and then have to choose between him and my love. How dare he exist.

I looked up at him. He had a look of pure joy on his face. He looked at me lovingly for a few moments, and then his expression hardened. His eyes had a slight hint of pain, which was covered by the stone look.

I instantly regretted my thoughts. Was I really that horrible? "Marcus, I-" He cut me off.

"You look tired. Go to bed." He walked to the door and slammed it behind him.

I threw myself into my pillow, my tears creating a sea on the linen. Marcus. No. What had I done?

Stupid Daniel, ruining everything!

But no, this was my fault. An owl cooed outside, creating a gloomy melody that kept time to my sobs, creating a dark symphony in the night.

**Not much to say except REVIEW!! They give me confidence so I will write more. Want chapters faster? Review and they might happen.**

**-Nova aka the girl who got Bella's bracelet for her birthday (WOO!)**


	7. Wonderful!

**This chapter is dedicated to Mr. B (The weirdo with a beardo) because he cannot come with us to Washington D.C. because of his dogs (poor old things!) Speaking of D.C., I will not be able to post anything until probably two weeks from now. I'll do a lot of writing there (I want to do some one-shots) so don't worry, loves, it won't be long! Also, seeing as my writing sucks, I'm thinking about getting a beta. Not too sure yet, but it is a possibility (yes, maybe you bella. Stop bothering me about it) Here is chapter 7. enjoy**

**Chapter 7: Wonderful!**

"Let's go to dinner."

I looked up, dazed and confused. What did he say? "What?"

"I said, we are going to dinner." Aro smirked, "A pretty little place just a few blocks away. We need to celebrate."

Wait, did he say dinner? Go out? We were going somewhere? "S-sure. But what are we celebrating?"

"That, my dear, is a surprise," He started to walk off, "You have an hour. Look nice. I'll knock on your door when we are leaving."

I jumped from the desk and dashed to my room. I needed to look as nice as possible. I showered quickly, washing my hair thoroughly, and jumped out of the shower. Then the question hit me; what was I going to wear? I turned to the bed and saw a beautiful dark blue halter dress that had an open back. I touched the fabric. Silk. Gorgeous. On the floor sat a pair of matching high heels, dark blue with rhinestones glittering on the band near the toe. I put on the dress and heels. The dress fit perfectly over my curves, cascading down to the floor. The heels were a perfect fit. I walked into the bathroom. Inside there was a makeup set. How was everything getting in here? I put on a hint of eye shadow and a dab of mascara. I blow-dried my hair and thought about how plain it looked. Turning to the side, I saw a straightener. Thank you, I thought to myself, and straightened my hair until it was perfectly smooth. Putting on a dab of lip-gloss when I heard a knock on my door. I took one more look in the mirror. God, I looked different. I had not been able to put on makeup in forever. I walked to the door. Aro was wearing a tuxedo, his hair combed nicely with a big smile on his face.

"Hello, my green-eyed beauty. You look quite lovely tonight."

I smiled, "Thank you. Also for the dress."

He looked me up and down, "Yes. Gianna did pick out something quite amazing. Are you ready?" he offered his arm to me. I nodded and took his arm. He led me through the intricate hallways of the underground masterpiece I had grown so used to. We walked in a dark hallway until we stopped underneath a pothole above us. He jumped and tapped the lid, causing it to fling up, showing us the stars. He grabbed me by the waist and jumped, flying us out of the hole and onto the street. I stared at him in shock.

He laughed. "Did you really think that I was going to let you climb out of there yourself and ruin that pretty dress?" he tugged at the fabric, "Never."

I looked around me. We were in the alleyway I saw Demetri and Heidi. The darkness frightened me a bit, but it was okay so long as I could see the stars. We walked down the streets, reexamining the alleyways I used to wander. We arrived at a small restaurant called _Il Mio Bello Cantante_.

"My beautiful singer." I murmured to myself.

"Yes. Such a wonderful name," he mused, and turned to me. "Let's go inside." He opened the door for me.

The waitress at the front's eyes widened and called to someone across the room. Aro merely grinned and waited as the girl ran to the back. _What's wrong with her,_ my mind asked. Aro looked at me. "Let's just say that I am well-known here." I looked down at our arms, still linked. _So that's how he knows,_ I thought to myself, _He is getting a constant stream of my thoughts._ The woman came back into the room and ushered us to a vacant room. Sitting us at a booth, the woman bowed toward Aro and walked away. She returned with two glasses and a bottle of wine. Aro popped the cork out and poured me a glass. I waited, watching for when he did it himself.

He saw my amazed expression and laughed, "You really think I am drinking this?" He pulled out a wine bottle, the red substance sloshing around in its container. The label read "Lamb, 1987" He opened it and poured himself a glass of the liquid. "No one knows this, but lamb is my absolute favorite blood type." He smiled, "Mostly everyone in the guard like human blood the most, but it just is not as great as _this_." He motioned to the bottle. "The lamb is so innocent, so pure. It is just so delicious." He stared at the bottle for a long moment, "A vampire living in France makes these, you know. It's sort of a hobby of his. He drinks half of the animal and bottles the rest. His venom gives it a bit of a tang to the taste." Sloshing it around his cup, he put the bottle down. "But lets not talk about that now. Today is a day of celebration, and we must treat it as such."

We talked for a while about random things, skipping through different aspects of Volturi life and such. At one moment he mentioned Marcus and what had happened the previous night.

"Foolish man. He does love you though. A lot. It's actually quite comedic." He chuckled, "Always thinking about you. Pretty depressing, if you ask me."

I did not respond. I did not want to. I caused him so much pain; I could not help but feel sorry for him myself.

My food came quickly—pasta with shrimp in pesto. I had two glasses of wine—the greatest wine I had ever had. Aro drank his whole bottle of blood.

He set down his glass, "Alright, then. Let's discuss why we are celebrating."

I gulped.

"Caius and I have seen you for the last three months working very well with everyone. You have a good grasp on our life here. Seeing as though you are aging by the day and you are very much needed here, we have decided," He paused, "To make you a vampire."

I nearly chocked on my pasta. "What?" I said after I regained some sanity.

"We see potential in you, Anna. You are a very bright girl. You will have quite an interesting power." clicking his tongue, he tilted his head to the side, "Yes. Very interesting. This is what you want, is it not?"

I contemplated for a moment, and decided to take my chances. "No."

His face hardened and he was still for a moment. Not changing his expression, he spoke, "This is not a choice, Anna. You _will_ become a vampire, or you will die. It is your choice to make. Make it now."

I stared in shock. No, this can't be happening. Let me go you animal! Let me go home! The blood-red pools staring back at me frightened me. Two choices: Change or die. I sighed. Goodbye Daniel. Goodbye Boston. Goodbye everything. "Okay,"

"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands together. "I knew you would come around. Lets get back home, shall we? Caius is dying to know the answer." He threw a hundred on the table and whisked us off.

I was shaking as I stood at the door to the main office, and as I slowly opened it, I could hear Aro saying "Wonderful! Just wonderful!"

**As always, review. You know the drill.**

-Nova aka the girl who thinks hoodlum is a funny word


	8. No More Tears, My Love

**Ah, DC. I must say that was one of the greatest trips ever. Lucky me I got a lot of writing done there :p I really hope you guys like this story as much as I enjoy writing it. This one is dedicated to the fans.**

**Chapter 8: No More Tears, My Love**

I trembled as I opened the door to the main office. Gianna noticed me at once, and running to me, grabbed me in an airtight hug. "Oh no, Anna, I'm sorry. Please don't cry. It's okay. You'll be okay."

That was when I realized I was crying, my tears ruining my mascara and leaving black streaks across my face. "No, please no. I don't-don't wanna, no Gianna." Failing to create a coherent sentence, I sobbed harder. She released me and looked deep into my eyes.

"Be strong. Everything will turn out okay. I promise."

"But he won't let me stay human. He told me."

"No, he won't. But did you think you could stay human forever? Aro would never allow that. You know that. It's all going to work out, Anna." She smiled, "You know, I was human when I first arrived."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She chuckled to herself, remembering the past, "It's all really fuzzy now, but I do remember. I saw Aro and Caius in the woods near my old home, though I cannot remember where that was," She shook her head, then continued, "They were hunting, you see, and Aro stopped Caius from killing me. He said 'She'll make a good secretary, don't you think my friend?'" she sighed, "I've been here ever since."

"Did you want to be changed?"

"Sort of. But that didn't matter. It was the same situation. Change or die."

I sniffled, and she hugged me again, "I'm sorry Anna. So so sorry."

After a few more moments of weeping, we headed to the great room. Gianna had gotten the message that I was needed, so we left swiftly, both dreading what was to come.

The whole guard, wives and all, were standing in the office. Sulpicia and Athenodora were standing in the back, surrounded by the guard. Aro, and Caius stood in the front—Aro looking joyful, Caius uninterested. I refused to let my eyes trail to the third vampire in the line.

"Annabelle! My green eyed beauty," Marcus cringed at Aro's words, "You have something to tell to everyone, don't you?"

I looked around the room. They didn't know yet? "Yes sir."

"Would you mind telling what that is dear?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm going to become a vampire," A universal gasp went around the room, followed by a few growls, "Aro told me I had to be changed,"

"WHAT!" Jane pushed through the group, stopping in front of Aro, "Her? That stupid insolent girl? She has no right! She's only been here for four months! FOUR! NO!" She shrieked, using her power against me. Pain shot through me, and I screeched, dropping to the floor and holding on to my stomach. "Stop it!" I yelled, "Stop it you stupid girl!" Jane's eyes flared as she lunged toward me. Marcus caught her immediately, holding her in a tight grip, his mouth in a tight line.

"That's enough, Jane," Caius spoke, wincing as pain shot through his veins, "Afton, take her out of here. Alec, do you mind?" She shrieked again, and went silent, Alec knocking out her senses. Afton and Alec left, holding Jane over his back.

"Alright then, I think that is enough drama to end this meeting on. Meeting adjourned." Aro clapped his hands, and everyone left, grumbling on the way out.

I stood in shock, my eyes wide, my lips slightly parted. Wow.

Gianna broke me out of my revierie, shaking me, "Anna, come on, let's go." She led me to my room, and with a goodbye, shut the door.

I ran to my bed and sobbed into the pillow. No, this cannot be happening. Why me? Why did I have to be taken? Why the hell did I have to be in that damn alleyway? I sighed. Why did I ever leave Daniel? The last bit of hope that was coursing through my veins died. Life is over. A single tear slid from my cheek. The empty feeling of being alone returned, ripping a hole in my chest. A knock on the door disturbed my thoughts. "Come in," I muttered. Marcus opened the door, and the hole ripped even further.

He looked me over, "You look like a mess," he pulled something out from behind him, "You forgot your shawl," he spat, and chucked it at me, making me flinch away from the incoming object. As he turned away, my poignancy turned to fury.

"What happened to you Marcus?" I was shaking with anger, "Why are you treating me like this?"

He paused at the door, his hand on the knob.

"Look at me," I barked.

He slowly turned around.

"Say it."

"Say what?" He barked back.

"Say that you told Aro to change me so I could be with you!"

"I never did such a thing!"

"Then why does Aro want to change me, huh? I'm nothing special. Just an ordinary girl. What would he want with me?" I paused for a moment, "Why would you do this to me?"

His eyes flared with anger, "Why would I do this? Why would I do this? Why the hell would I want you to become a vampire? It is hard enough to love a human that does not love me back. Why not make it harder by making that human a vampire? I did not know about this until you told us! Aro and Caius made the decision without me. They knew that they should not include me." He sucked a breath through his teeth, "I love you. God I love you. And I just can't be here for you If you don't love me in return." His voice cracked, and my heart broke.

"Marcus."

No answer.

"Marcus, please."

Silence.

My eyes glistened with tears, "I need you. I can't do this alone."

He let out a small whimper of pain, "I can't do that, Anna."

"Please Marcus, please."

"No."

I used my only defense to keep him there, "I love you too, Marcus. Please stay with me. Please."

A muffled sob broke from my chest, "Not enough, Anna. Never enough."

"Marcus—"

"I need you too, Annabelle, but not as a friend. I need you as a lover. I'm sorry." He let out a final whisper, and walked out of the room, leaving the door cracked so a little light showed.

I collapsed.

My body heaved with pain. My limbs turned shaky and cold. The sobs escaping from my lips sounded inhuman, and my eyes created streams flowing to the bed below. "Marcus!" I cried out in agony. He was right. I did not love him the same. But I needed him. Daniel was gone. Home was gone. And now, my only source of happiness was gone, too.

"Anna," Marcus was standing in the doorway, pain creasing his brow, agony staining his eyes, "Don't-don't cry. Please don't cry."

"Marcus," I cried once more, and lept into the safety of his embrace. He pulled me close, rocking me gently, and nuzzled his face into my hair.

"I'll always be here for you. Do you hear me? I'll never leave. Don't cry. Please, no more tears."

"Stay with me."

"I always will."

I looked up at him, "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"It's okay, Anna." He held me close, "No more tears, love."

And as long as I had him there, I would never shed a tear again.

**Review please. That's all I have to say.**

**-Nova AKA the girl who is excited to post the next chapter :O**


	9. Are We Human?

**I'm horrible. A horrible horrible person. How long has it been since I have updated? Geez. I do have a good excuse though. I wrote this whole chapter out last week. When I went to post it, I realized how bad it was (I'm serious. It sucked.) I didn't like where I was going with it, so I changed it, trying to make sure the story-line stays the same. But, quoted from Mrs.B's giant poster. Words are words, excuses are excuses, promises are promises, but performance is reality. Anyway, I finally churned this out after a lot of procrastination. Before you read, I suggest listening to the song Human by The Killers. You'll know when to press play.**

**Here it is, chapter 9 of Red Eyed Beauty**

**Chapter 9: Are We Human?**

Everything was ready.

Aro planned the bite exactly two weeks from our meeting. Every day the clock ticked faster, and as I watched it, I felt my humanity tick away with it.

I was ready. I was prepared to leave my old life and begin this journey. That's what I called it then. A journey. A new way of living. Better? I couldn't say. I would see in good time. I had done nearly everything I wanted to do as a human before. Still, I had one last request.

"Marcus?" I asked him the evening before the change, "I was wondering if we could do something tonight, you know, before I die." I made the quotation signs with my hands. He hated when I said I was "dying"—he would say that I was not dying, but being reborn. I would always tell him that you had to die before being reborn. I always won.

"Like what?" He was reading, and looked up at me in curiosity.

"Well," I paused for a moment. Was I a fool to ask? "Can we go to my house?"

He froze, "Your house?"

"Yes."

"For what?"

"I want some things."

"Like what?"

"Some family things. To remember them."

He contemplated it for a moment, and nodded, "Don't tell Aro we're leaving. Give me five minutes."

We jumped through the pothole and zoomed through the streets, avoiding any major road. "Turn left," I said, holding onto Marcus' back.

At last, we arrived.

My small apartment felt strange with the boarded up windows and no light. The door looked menacing—I was afraid to touch it. Seeing my reluctance, Marcus did the job for me. My hands were shaky as I flipped the switch.

The light flickered on as if it were welcoming us. The room was different than remembered, boxes covering the floor with just a little room to walk around. Someone had taken my paintings down from the pale white wall, making the room feel like a hospital.

"What are we looking for?" Marcus walked slowly, scanning the walls.

"Just stay on the couch and I'll find everything." I walked into my bedroom and started looking. I grabbed a picture off my nightstand. It was of my sister and I. We were covered in chocolate sauce in our bathing suits. We were laughing. I stared at her mahogany hair. I had always envied her beautiful locks. I still did. I took the picture. Walking to my jewelry box, I picked up my mother's locket. Her initials possessed the front, and my sister and I were inside. Putting it on, I held it to my heart. At last I dared myself to go to the little box on the dresser. I viewed the contents inside.

"_Here," he handed me a small object. It was wooden, and had an engraved D on it._

"_What is it?" I turned it in my hands._

_He looked at the object in my palm, "It's my lucky pic. It's not much, I know, but I wanted to give you something personal," he chuckled softly, "My father whittled this. It isn't good for playing, but I keep it in my pocket when I play. For good luck."_

_I was confused, "But why did you give it to me?"_

"_Annie," he laughed, "You are all I need, I don't need luck, or shooting stars," he pulled me closer, "I have you. That's all I'll ever need."_

A tear dropped onto the dresser. With shaky hands, I walked into the living room. Marcus was standing by my stereo, a CD in his hands. He turned to me, "I love this CD."

"Me too," I replied, "Play it."

He put in the CD and walked to the couch. I followed.

_are we human or are we dancer_

_my sign is vital, my hands are cold_

_and I'm on my knees looking for the answer_

_are we human or are we dancer_

"So what did you grab?" I handed him the picture. He laughed. "Cute. Is this your sister?"

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Charlotte," I stared off into space, "Charlotte Grace,"

"Older or younger?"

"Older."

"You were close, weren't you?"

I shrugged, "We were sisters. The best of friends."

"You miss her?"

I sighed, "Yeah,"

_pay my respects to grace and virtue_

_send my condolences to good_

_give my regards to soul and romance_

_they always did the best they could_

_and so long to devotion, you taught me everything I know_

_wave good bye, wish me well_

_you gotta let me go_

"Pretty locket," he touched the heart, it moved a tiny bit.

"It was my mothers."

He opened the locket, and looked at the pictures. He smiled.

_will your system be alright_

_when you dream of home tonight_

_there is no message were receiving_

_let me know is your heart still beating_

Finally, he looked at the pic, "Daniel loved you a lot."

"Yes."

He looked up, "And you love him." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

I trembled, "I'm sorry,"

"Well," he put the pic back into my hand, "What's past is past. It doesn't matter."

The song came to a close, and I murmured the last words as it ended.

"M-Marcus?" I asked, still shaking from the music.

"Yes?"

"Can we stay here tonight?" I looked up at him, "I want one last night here. Please?"

He sighed, "Might as well. It's late. We'll leave tomorrow morning early. Aro wanted an early start anyway."

That night I slept in Marcus' embrace.

My last rest.

And I had a dream.

My last dream.

"Don't be afraid," Daniel grabbed my hand, "We'll always be together."

"Promise?" I had to be sure.

"Promise." He kissed my forehead, and we walked into the sunset.

* * *

**I have a Fiver feeling (HAHAHA FIVER! lol most of you won't get it. haa) that I will get messages saying WTF does this song have to do with the story? Well, here is my excuse.**

**Anna is giving up her life. Everything she wanted is gone. But for some reason, she is no longer afraid. She can accept it. So she is letting everything she knows disappear into nothing. It no longer matters. Her humanity is put on the line, and she no longer cares. It's over. **

**Well, it makes sense to me.**

**Peace out girl scout,**

**Nova aka the girl who slapped another girl in the head who now is holding a grudge about it even though she knows that she does that to everyone**

**Woah, That was long.**


	10. Red Eyed Beauty

**:p Hello! Not much to really say except for this: Last time I posted within one hour I got 57 views. 57! I was amazed! But the downside to that is that out of this whole time I have only gotten 2 reviews. :( If you like, review! It's that simple. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Red Eyed Beauty**

"Wonderful! Just Wonderful! Everything is ready. Are you ready dear?"

"Yes Aro." I pretended to look confident. Thank god for theater classes.

"Follow me," He led Marcus and I into a white room resembling a hospital. Around a small hospital bed was medical equipment. I shivered.

"Hop up," Aro patted the bed, "And we'll get this over with." I hopped up on the bed. Marcus and I exchanged nervous glances. "Marcus?" Aro gestured towards me.

"Me?" Marcus was flabbergasted.

"Might as well. Besides, I kill more than I keep." Aro winked as my eyes widened. Marcus walked up to me, slowly putting his lips to my throat.

"Anna?" he whispered

"Yes?"

"Are you ready?" His breath tickled my throat.

"Yes." I was trembling, "Please, Marcus just get it over with!"

"I'm sorry," he murmured against my skin.

And his razor-sharp teeth pierced my skin.

A shriek of agony exploded from my lungs.

Pain. So much pain.

"Thank you Marcus. Now, if you don't mind, I need to talk to you in private. Jane, would you please watch the girl while I speak with Marcus?"

Not Jane. Anyone but Jane.

"Yes Master," She walked to a chair at the other end of the room. The door closed with a loud _click. _We sat in silence for what seemed like hours. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. My limbs ached. The fire in my neck was moving, destroying, _creating_.

Finally, Jane spoke.

"I promised Aro I would not use my powers against you for the next few days." She stood up, a menacing smile on her face. Standing right next to the bed, she raised her hand and balled it into a fist. "But he never said that I couldn't do this."

Oh God, no.

Her arm snapped down and made contact with my leg, creating a sickening snapping sound. I shrieked.

"Don't worry, the venom will heal that. Now, what else can I do to you?" She snapped the other leg. I screamed again. She cackled. "I think that's enough destruction for now." She cleared her throat. "Five months. That's how long you have been here. Five measly months. And you get to be changed! That's not fair! NO! She slammed her fist against a table and broke it in half. She moved close to me, her face inches from mine. "You don't deserve shit! Gianna had to wait five years! FIVE! What makes you so special?!" she slapped me, and at that moment Marcus and Aro came into the room, "Jane, what the hell?" I heard Marcus scream, but I was out before I could hear anymore.

* * *

The next moment I remember was the worst.

Burning fire seared through my veins, making my whole body throb in pain. I started screaming as I woke, thrashing around on the cot.

"Anna!" Marcus leaped out of his chair and ran to me, grabbing my hand and tracing circles on the back.

"Marcus! Put the fire out! Please!" I pulled at his shirt, trying to pull him closer to me.

"It will go away soon sweetheart, I promise" He kissed my palm. His hands were cold. Ice cold. It gave me an idea. I gripped him and yanked him forward. He sat on the bed and adjusted himself so I was in his lap. I curled up into a ball, screaming and clawing at him.

"Marcus! Help me!" I ripped his shirt off, "The cold! I need the cold!"

His face turned to panic as he held me closer, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Marcus!"

"Christ," he groaned. I buried my face into his chest as I cried and dug my fingernails into his arms.

"Stop, please stop Anna. I-I'll fix it. I promise. Just stop crying, S-stop crying. Please." I screamed one more time before the darkness closed over me.

* * *

When I woke again, the pain was still there, but much more dulled. My heartbeat was slow, and my breathing ragged. Marcus was still holding me, his cool breath hitting my shoulder. "Marcus," I choked out.

He looked up, "Anna?" he stroked my hair, "Anna, sweetheart, are you alright?"

"It hurts," I groaned.

"I know."

What's happening to me?"

He sighed, "You're dying. Your human body is dying."

I shut my eyes tight. "How much longer?

"A few more hours left. Don't worry." He kissed my forehead, "It's almost over."

"Marcus," I shivered, "My heart."

Indeed my heart was beating slowly pulsing. I shut my eyes and concentrated on the beautiful face I longed to see. Daniel. And as my last moments as human dissolved, so did the memory of the one I lost.

At my last beat, my final memory of Daniel disappeared.

* * *

I opened my eyes.

Where am I? Who am I? The light above me shot out a rainbow of colors, including one I could not identify. I saw up, and I was shocked to see how quickly I did so. A man in a cloak was standing at the other side of the room, a smirk on his face.

"Welcome back,"

It took me a minute to recall his name. _Aro_, a voice chanted in my head. I looked to the girl next to him. _Jane,_ it spoke again.

"How are you feeling?" the man known as Aro asked me.

"Weird," I gasped at the beautiful melodic voice that spoke. It was so, soft, so unnatural.

He chuckled, "Take a look at yourself, my dear, see what you have become." I got up—still shocked by the speed—and looked in the mirror.

My soul roared with fury.

My hair has more volume and cascaded down in waves, much brighter than before. My face looked softer—almost angelic—and was unfamiliar. My body was thinner. I looked, beautiful.

But that was not what made me angry.

My eyes, once a gorgeous shade of green, were now a bright red, ruby red.

Blood red.

"Well, I guess I can no longer call you my green-eyed beauty, can I?" he mused, turning his head slightly to the side, "I guess you are my red-eyed beauty now."

I stared into the eyes that damned me, and all the anger that was in my for the past five months burst through me. I glared at the mirror, rage consuming me, seizing, growing…

The mirror quivered.

I glared harder.

It started to shake violently, creating waves along the frame. It quivered one last time, and shattered. Chunks of glass flew everywhere, filling the room with tiny reflections. They flew at amazing speed, yet somehow managed to avoid Aro, Jane, and I.

"I see that we won' have any problems concerning your abilities. Come along Jane, I think that Annabelle needs to be alone."

And at that moment, I became the Red Eyed Beauty.

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**What was it that I said at the beginning? Oh yeah, REVIEW.**


	11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth

**Not much to say, but I hope you like this! The reason for the title is basically because I was listening to the song on repeat while writing this (and is now on my writing inspiration playlist) Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 11: Flightless Bird, American Mouth**

I stayed curled up in the white room, my face buried in my knees. I dared not leave the room—the outside frightened me too much. I heard footsteps outside of the door. A hand touched the doorknob. As it turned, I jumped up, getting in to a defensive crouch. A snarl ripped through my throat.

"Annabelle?" A man in a long black robe came in. His eyes were a dark burgundy as mine were, and he had very bright blonde hair, easily mistaken for white through human eyes. I stared at the beautiful man for a long time, remembering his face, but unable to place a name. He smiled lightly, and I melted.

"Oh, Marcus," I leaped into his arms.

He laughed, "It's good to see you too."

I stared into his eyes for a moment before he spoke again, "Thirsty?" The burning in my throat increased ten-fold. I cringed. "Let's go to the Great Room, Heidi and Gianna just came back from the hunt."

My eyes widened in shock as I thought of the humans waiting to be killed. Could I really do that?

"No, don't panic!" he grasped my arms tight, "We don't need to go just yet. There are other places we can feed for the time being. Follow me." He took my hand and led me through the hallways, some I had never been allowed to pass through before, until we reached a large wooden door. Marcus turned the knob, and I gasped.

The room was narrow and cramped with a high ceiling. One each side of us held hundreds of wine bottles, and each bottle holding the same dark-red liquid. Marcus grabbed a bottle and threw it at me. "Aro's favorite," he said. The bottle still had the word _Lamb_ as my faded human memories could recall, but there were other words inscribed on the glass—words my human eyes could not pick up. _Domestic Sheep—Lamb. Five months of age. Found on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. Bottled by Alexandre Newbury, 1873._ When I opened the bottle, my senses went into overdrive, and I quickly put the bottle to my mouth, sucking all of the liquid from the container, soothing the burning ache. Marcus tossed me a few more bottles, and I finished quickly. The fire dulled to a small ache; nothing I could not handle. I turned my attention to Marcus, who was drinking a bottle himself. He had the bottle tilted upwards, and his eyes were closed, his Adams apple moving in time to his gulps. I shuddered.

God, he was beautiful.

After we were finished, he took me to my room, saying that a midnight ball was being held in my honor. It was a tradition among the coven and guard that every newborn would be thrown a party. Well, the ones who got to stay, at least.

"Oh my God," Gianna was at the door to my room, "You look beautiful."

I smiled "Thanks."

"Lets get you ready." She grinned, "It's your night, you know."

Gianna worked quickly on my makeup and hair, all the while flooding me with questions.

"So, what's your power?" she asked while curling an end sticking out of the up do she put my hair in.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what's your supernatural ability? What is your special talent? You wouldn't still be here without one."

I contemplated that for a second, "Not every vampire has one?"

She laughed, "God, no. Most do not, actually. The Volturi only accept the vampires that will help them, ability or not. Take Caius for example. He has no special talent, but he is very cunning and clever. It helps when they are planning a secret attack. No one can outsmart him. You one the other hand, no offense, are very weak. You do not have an advanced mind or are super strong or anything. Aro was considering killing you before you were done changing. He didn't think you would be good enough." She shrugged, "Guess he was wrong there."

I shivered. He was going to kill me? I shook it off quickly. "Do you have a talent Gianna?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

She beamed, "I can control the weather."

"Woah."

"I'll show you sometime. Right now though," She turned to the closet, "I want to show you the dress I picked out for you." She ran to the closet and picked out a giant white garment bag. "Look at this," she said, and pulled the zipper to the bag down.

I gasped.

A long deep strapless dress hung on the hanger, glittering and stunning. The top half was a solid purple, the bottom had small clear beads that formed into swirling patterns. I reached out and touched the fabric. It felt so soft on my new hands.

"Do you like it?" she asked, her eyes bright.

"Yes. Yes. It's beautiful." I looked up at her, "Thank you." She slipped the dress over my head and gave me a pair of purple stilettos. Pushing me out the door with 'You're going to be late,' she dashed to her room to get ready. Standing next to me was Alec, dressed in a suit, his hair combed nicely.

"Hello Anna," he said, "You look stunning."

"Thank you," I murmured quietly as he took my arm and led me to the ballroom. As he opened the door, I took a deep breath, realizing that it was not soothing, and walked into the room.

The whole ballroom was alive and well. Men and women were dancing the waltz, serious but still enjoying themselves. To the side stood other vampires, talking and laughing. There were more vampires there then I had ever seen before in my time there. The whole room gleamed with its elegance, and I almost felt unwelcome to the beauty.

"Annabelle!" Aro's voice shouted, and the whole room turned its attention to me. I shivered. "There is our Guest of Honor! My, do you look dashing! Violet is quite a good color on you. Gianna picked out something quite striking. Come in, come in!" He led me in to the crowd, and once again I felt unwelcome. "May I have the first dance, my lady?" he held his hand out, and I grabbed it willingly. He spun us to the middle of the floor, and we waltzed.

Throughout the night I danced with nearly every man in the room, spinning gracefully through the crowd. As the party died down, I saw some people leave with their partners, linked hand in hand. I sighed. I wish I could have that.

There was only one person I had not danced with yet—Marcus.

"May I?" He walked up to me at a slower song, pulling me gracefully into the music.

"You know I never knew how to dance as a human," I laughed, "I'm shocked any theater ever let me in. I was the only girl without the triple threat."

"Most things come to one when becoming one of us," He replied, spinning me to the left, "Dancing is as natural as running."

"Plus it helps with this wonderful music."

"Yes. We have a lot of very talented people on the guard."

"Do you play an instrument, Marcus?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

He smirked, "Saxophone."

As we danced, I felt the air turn a bit sour, and I looked up at him to see what was wrong.

"Are you upset?" He whispered, staring out into space.

"No," I replied, cocking my head to the side, "Why would I be?"

He looked the other direction, "Well, its just that you are no longer human. You are one of us, the immortal souls who feed of our mother kind. Aren't you angry about it?"

"No."

"What about him?" He whispered even lower now, "You loved him, and now you can't have him."

"Him?" I tried to search for anyone in my memory, but I could not recall any man I had loved before, "I've never loved anyone." I was going to say except for you, but I left it out.

"You," He looked into my eyes, "Don't. Remember. Him?"

"No."

He looked at me for a moment longer, then leaned down to my ear, "Would you like to know what I see in our relationship now?" I nodded. He looked at me, his face centimeters away from mine, "Love."

I stroked his face with my hand, and he leaned in to it for a moment, before closing the gap between us, pressing his lips to mine. A shock of energy ran through me, and I clutched myself closer, molding myself to him as much as possible. He put his hand on my waist and his other in my hair, deepening the kiss. I squeezed him hard.

"O-ow," he said on my lips, and released his mouth from mine.

"Sorry," I whispered.

He tilted my chin so I would look at him. He was gleaming.

"I love you," I said, and slowly pressed my lips to his once more.

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**Review!**


	12. Delicious

**Sorry about the lack of updates lately. Advent is a pain in the ass and it gives me serious writers block. I churned this out as soon as I could. Sorry.**

**Oh and about everyone's lack of reviews. Review, I post. Review, I don't. Your choice, lovelies.**

**-Nova aka the girl who has such bad writers block that she almost gave up this story. Almost.**

**Chapter 12: Delicious**

"You have everything?"

I scanned the room. The closets were empty, my bookshelf cleared.

"Yes."

It had been two weeks since I had first woken up on that white bed. Marcus and I were clearing out my old room. I was moving in with him.

"Then let's go," He moved the bag to his other hand and grabbed mine, and we walked out of the room. We went down a couple flights of stairs dimly lit by candles. We went through the dark grid of the underground palace until we reached a door.

"Um, my room."

The room was massive, with a high ceiling that stretched higher than any room I had been in so far. The wooden floor had a huge rug in front of a fireplace that was in the center of a very large bookshelf. Chairs sat in front of the fire. The room's walls were stone, and the west wall had a massive four-post bed with golden-brown bedding.

I gulped.

Walking inside, I stopped at the massive bookshelf and ran my fingertips against the spines. There were thousands of books, from every language possible. It was incredible.

"How many languages do you know?" I asked in wonder.

He counted in his head, "About thirty-seven."

"_Thirty seven?_"

"Yeah," He laughed, "I've had a lot of time on my hands. I don't sleep remember? Plus, I've been single for nearly three thousand years. I really don't have much to do except for the occasional patrol when things get out of hand."

"Hmm," I stared at the books. Some looked thousands of years old.

"You want to unpack?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." I got up and walked with him in to the massive closet. I started unpacking clothes.

"I don't see how you wear these things," He cringed at an old t-shirt, "It's highly repulsive."

"Alright, fashionista," I giggled, "You can buy me new clothes if you don't like it. Besides, everything gets covered up with this cloak." I pointed to the black silk on my back.

He smirked, "I really do love that on you."

Right after the ball, Aro came to me and gave me two robes. One had sleeves and one didn't. The one with sleeves was for use around the castle. The one without was when we left and battled other vampires. I had not used that one yet.

A lot of the vampires were slightly jealous of my new status in the Volturi. Since Marcus and I were a couple, I was considered a wife. We were not married though; I felt very uneasy when he brought up the idea.

_You were going to marry him_ the voice sounded in my head. I shook away the thought.

He let me walk around while he finished unpacking me, so I spent the time looking around the room and memorizing everything. The golden curtains, the marble fireplace, when I came across a black case. I picked it up.

"What's this?" I flipped it around in my hands.

"It's my saxophone," He stood right behind me.

I stared at it for a long time, "Can you play it for me?"

"Sure," He grabbed the case and instructed me to sit on the bed. I complied. He stood in front of me and put the pieces together slowly and carefully. I knew by now that I could not touch it, for if I did it would snap under my hands. _Stupid newborn strength_, I thought to myself. He looked into my eyes as he put the mouthpiece into his mouth, and he began to play.

I was immediately overcome by the beautiful sounds escaping from the instrument. It was so beautiful, so amazing, that I could hardly bear it. His eyes were closed now, escaping from our world and entering his own. I watched in awe as he played, and suddenly, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey," he murmured on my mouth as we kissed, "That's not fair."

"Whatever," I whispered back as I attacked him again. He laughed and pulled me closer. I broke away and stared at him. So beautiful.

_HE was beautiful_, the voice spoke again. I shut it out.

"We have a couple hours until we need to be there," he said, "What do you want to do until then?"

I thought for a moment, "I want to hear you play."

"Your wish is my command, my lady." He set me down on the bed. I closed my eyes and fell back on it as he began to play. The music ran in and out of me, weaving patterns, squeezing me, then letting go. The music was a melancholy tune, and for a moment I was worried, but then the thought ran away from me as it molded in to something different.

"What's this?" I asked him, my eyes still closed.

"It's your song," he paused for a moment and continued.

"My song?" I sat up and looked at him. He was playing softly, the notes flowing sweetly and strikingly. I wanted to reach up and touch him, to see if he was really there, really playing for me, and know that he was mine. When the song ended, my eyes felt dry, and I realized that I was crying.

"Thank you," I whispered.

He set the saxophone in the case and picked me up bridal style, "I love you," he said, and kissed me softly.

We walked hand in hand to the feeding room, and this time, I was ready. The past two weeks I had been scared to come even close to this room. I was afraid to kill. I drank about a fourth of the supply of bottled animal blood before Aro told me I needed to try. I waited for five days so that way I was thirsty enough to gain the courage to do this. I was ready. I knew it.

We walked in to a small room that had a one-sided window overlooking the room. He sat me down and stood next to me. Heidi and Gianna had just arrived, the "catch" following behind them. They excused themselves, and left the room.

Corin and Felix walked in next, grabbing one woman each, and left the room with them.

"Where are they going?" I asked.

"To their rooms," he said. I stared at him in curiosity. "For some of us, the seduction is part of the meal. It makes it all more enjoyable."

My eyes widened, "Do you—"

"No," he cut me off, "Not since you arrived, at least."

We watched the people for a moment longer before he spoke.

"Okay, follow my lead. When you get inside, hold your breath. Aro will give the signal. Take a breath, and follow your instincts. Ready?"

I sighed, "Ready." I held my breath, and we headed into the room.

Everyone walked in as the doors closed. Holding my breath was not hard, but it was uncomfortable. I wanted to smell.

Aro burst through the doors opposite of us. He looked over the humans and said "Welcome, guests! Welcome to Volterra!"

Everything happened at once.

Everyone sprang after someone, tackling them to the floor and biting their necks. There was screaming and moaning, the gurgling of blood matched within it. I quickly took a breath, and the whole scene changed.

I was the predator, they were my prey.

I attacked the first person I could find, the smell overwhelming me. I bit into him, and his blood filled my mouth. The frenzy began. I sucked the life out of him, the sweet liquid overcoming all of my senses. I attacked three more of the humans in that room, sucking them all dry. And just as everything began at once, it ceased at once. Everyone was finished.

Marcus grabbed my hand, "How was that?"

I flashed a bloody grin, "Delicious."


	13. Didyme

**Can you believe I had the whole winter break to write this, and I do it the day before school? I'm a tard. Oh well. I had a lot of work to do. If you guys haven't noticed, I have a one-shot up and i finished my advent drabbles. Go check those out, too. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13: Didyme**

"Come on, you piece of shit! Hit me!"

I pushed my force out at Renata, and she flew across the room, slamming against the back wall full force. The drywall shattered, and some of the wall fell to the floor.

She looked up, "Nice."

I laughed, "Not so bad yourself."

I used my mind to pull her from the wall and set her on her feet.

"I've never had anyone break through my shield before." She walked up to me, "It's quite frightening. Marcus would be proud."

"And I am." Marcus wrapped his arms around me from behind and pressed his lips to my head, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too." I used my head to lift him up and over my head, and landing right in front of me. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him hungrily. He kissed me for a moment before chuckling and pulling away.

"Someone's eager," I laughed and pecked his lips. "You're getting good at this."

"What?" I kissed him. "Kissing?" again.

He laughed again, "No, well, yes." He pecked my lips, "But that's not what I'm talking about. I meant your telekinesis."

"Oh, right, that." I giggled and buried my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me tightly.

For a human, two months is not nearly enough time to be completely connected with someone. To know every flaw, every thought, every movement that they make. For a vampire, that is a completely different story. In that amount of time, I knew every thought that he had, every sound that he could make. How he walked, ran, jumped, climbed, hunted. I knew every crevice of his body, every little mark or scar. I knew everything about him.

Well, almost everything.

"My brothers want to see me. I need to get going."

"Will I get to see you later today?" I spoke into his chest.

He pressed his lips to my forehead, "How could I live without you for so long?" He nuzzled my neck and planted a kiss there, "I promise."

"I love you." I mumbled. He pecked my lips once more before going off to meet his brothers. I instantly missed the feel of his body against mine. I sighed and walked to Gianna's room, craving time with my friend.

"I haven't seen Marcus so happy," Gianna said, sitting on her bed, "He's always laughing now. Did you know I never saw him laugh until now? He was always so, depressed. He wasn't very social. Still isn't, really. But before, all I got from him was a huff or a word. But now, he smiles. He talks to everyone. He's not the hollow shell of a man he used to be. Because of you."

I smiled and leaned back, "Poor guy. All alone for thousands of years."

"I couldn't imagine. And especially with such heartbreak. The loss of Didyme nearly killed him."

My head snapped up, "Didyme?"

Her eyes widened, "Oh, God. He didn't tell you?" I shook my head, "Shit! I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, tell me." I was overcome with curiosity. What was he hiding from me?

She sighed, "Didyme was Marcus' wife. She died a long time ago. She was," she hesitated, "You know, you need to ask Marcus. I feel uncomfortable telling you this." She swiftly walked out of the room.

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We were in our bed together, the sheets covering us. I was lying across Marcus' chest, tracing circles on his bare body. He was tracing designs on my bare back, staring at the ceiling. We hadn't spoken in a while, and I really didn't want to. We were in total bliss—nothing could get better than this.

Though there was one thing plaguing my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Didyme. Who was she? What was she like?

I moved up his body a bit more, which sent shivers down my spine. It did the same to him, and with a smirk, leaned upwards to kiss me. I said it before he did.

"Didyme."

He froze in place. His eyes widened. He sat up, me still cradled to his chest, and looked into my eyes.

"Who is she, Marcus?" I pursued, "Tell me."

His face contorted to a look of pain, and I instantly regretted asking. He took a deep breath,

"Who told you?" he said harshly.

"Does it matter?" I replied. He hesitated, and I pursued further, "Tell me." He looked at me for a long time, before beginning.

"Didyme was my wife." He said, "When Aro and I were young, Aro changed his sister into a vampire. He believed that she might have a useful power. Maybe something we could use to our advantage. To gain power. She did have a power, of course, but not one that was particularly helpful. She had this, aura, of happiness, whenever you were near her. Aro of course tried to make the best of it. He looked for ways to use it somehow." His eyes warmed, "She was beautiful. She had long brown hair, and soft eyes. Her voice was like a song. Many men fell in love with her. I couldn't help but be part of them. But Didyme fell in love with me as well. We were together for centuries. We were inseparable. After a while, we stopped caring about Aro's plans. We didn't care about taking over the vampire world. We planned to leave, to go out into the world together. But—" he paused. His eyes turned dark and grey again.

"What happened, Marcus?" I couldn't bear to see him like this.

"She—" he hesitated, "She was murdered."

"By who?"

"Does it really matter who?" he became a bit fierce. He took a deep breath to calm down, "I don't know who. I had my suspicions, of course, but I never pursued them. Something held me back. Made me stay loyal to our group." He hung his head, "I became, empty. Nothing mattered anymore. I didn't care if we lived or died. I didn't care about the fate of the empire. To me, nothing was real without her. Without her, no one existed." His voice broke. My heart broke.

"Do," I tilted his head up to look at me, "Do you love her?"

He instantly detected the double meaning in my words, and his eyes widened. He grabbed me and pulled me back down. I buried my face in his chest. "No, no," he kissed my forehead, "Don't think that way. She's gone, Annabelle. I have you now. I'll always be here for you. Don't ever think otherwise." He tilted my chin to look at him, "I love you."

My eyes felt dry again, and I knew I was crying, "I love you too."

He turned us so we were lying on our sides. He kissed me earnestly, and rested his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes.

"You are my everything, Anna." He murmured, "You made me alive again. Thank you. My love, my life, my world."

I kissed him slowly, and we proceeded into our own bubble of happiness.

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**Review! Check Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn FAQ page for more on Marcus' story.**


	14. Friends?

**The greatest things in the world are car rides. I can get sooooooo much more done than normally. Because of that, I wrote this chapter and the next in advance. Awesome, right? I'll probably post faster because of it, too. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14: Friends?**

"Do you really have to leave?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Aro said that this is my day to go, Marcus. I need to get out of here. I haven't left since I was human."

He pulled me closer, "You know, I have a say in this too. He's not the leader. I hold power here. We're even."

I laughed, "Maybe you should show it." He looked at me in shock before I laughed again and, kissing his nose, jumped out of bed. I got on my clothes and shrugged on my robe. He stared at me blankly.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

This question brought him out of his reverie and he smirked, "I was just imagining you in that robe. And nothing else."

I worked hard to control my breathing as I trembled. Two could play at this game.

I sauntered over to him and whispered in his ear, "Maybe that fantasy can come true when I get home," I kissed his neck, "Bye." And walked out of the room, leaving behind a wide eyed pale-faced vampire.

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"No!"

"Yes."

"You can't be serious!" I looked in the mirror. "I can't go out in public in THIS!" I gestured to the tight short dress I was wearing.

"You HAVE to." She walked up behind me, "You are the temptress today. You're grabbing the men, of course. I have families today. Santiago has the women." She laughed, "He is quite the character."

"Another reason I shouldn't go." I said, "I have no clue who Santiago is. Besides, isn't the men Heidi's job?"

She seemed reluctant to answer the question. "Well, yes. But when she heard you were going too." She bit her lip, "She quit out for the day. Said that she won't go out when you are out also."

I sighed, "She really hates me, doesn't she?" Gianna nodded. "Oh well," I said, "What we really need to worry about is the abomination you call clothing on me."

She laughed, "Stop. Now let me finish." She fixed the last piece of hair and gestured me to look in the mirror.

Holy. Shit.

The dress was a bright red that hugged all of my curves. The front extenuated my cleavage, and the short sleeves hung off of my shoulders slightly. My eyes had dark shadow on them, and I was wearing bright red lipstick. Green contacts hid my crimson eyes. My hair was curled into large spirals. I looked down. Bright red stilettos hugged my feet. I gulped.

"Come on!" she said, and pulled us to the door of her room to meet up with the others.

"Wait!" I said, "I forgot my phone." and ran to my room.

When I opened the door, I saw Marcus reading a book in Latin by the fire. I slowly walked to the bedside table. Marcus' head snapped up, and I could have sworn his eyes popped out of his head.

"Anna," he groaned, and grabbed me, pulling me into a crushing kiss. I pushed away.

"You'll mess up my makeup." I squeaked.

He looked me over, "Who is this sexy outfit for?" He asked sarcastically.

I giggled, "I'm going out, remember?"

His look turned from playful to scornful, "Out? In this?" he gestured to the thin strap of fabric. I nodded. He growled, "Oh no, you're not." He picked me up and ran out of the room.

"Hey! Put me down!" I yelled and kicked and punched him. He kept running until we were at a small room. He tossed me into the chair.

"What the hell, jackass?" I screamed.

"You are NOT going out there!"

"Why not?"

"You cannot go out and let everyone see you in THAT!" He growled into my ear, "You. Are. Mine."

I growled back, "I don't belong to anyone."

_You did_ the voice in my head said.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just, you look so, _sexy_, in that. I just didn't want to share." He closed his eyes. "I apologize."

I smiled, "You think I would be _interested_ in those men?" I snorted, "Like I could ever love anyone as much as I love you."

_What about more?_

I hugged him close, "I have to go. I promise, I'll be loyal." I kissed his nose, "Bye." I ran out of the room.

"What took you so long?" Gianna asked me when I got to the meeting area.

I grinned, "Complication."

* * *

Alec and I walked the streets of Volterra freely today. Gianna had changed the forecast for me, just in case I walk out of the boundaries. We looked around for good bait.

In the meantime, my throat was burning like crazy, and I had to hold my breath to keep from going on a rampage. Alec looked for good men to take.

"That one," he said, and pointed to a middle-aged man eating a hot dog.

I sighed and nodded. Here we go.

I walked to the man. He dropped his hot dog immediately.

"Hello." I said. He gulped.

"H-hi."

I tried to act as sexy as possible, "I'm working for a company that is in DESPERATE need for some customer opinions. Would you mind giving it a try? For me?" I batted my eyelashes. A new bead of sweat dripped down his face.

"U-h. Okay."

"Great. See that woman in the grey t-shirt?" I pointed to Gianna, who was talking to a family of four.

"Y-yes."

"Follow her. I'll be there when you arrive. Don't have too much fun without me." I got close to him. I struggled to stay in control. Only two more hours and I could kill him. He nodded weakly and walked to the group of people next to Gianna. She looked at me and smiled.

"Nice work." Alec said from behind me. "Shall we try some more?"

We ended up getting about 5 men in the end, all of them falling from my beauty. In that time, Alec and I started to talk more.

"I'm so concerned for her," Alec said about Jane, "We don't keep secrets from each other. She sits in her room all day. Aro can't even tell me what's wrong. She won't let him touch her." He sighed. "I'm scared that she is going to run away from me."

I looked at him intently, "She won't. I'd never allow it."

He smiled, "Thank you."

We walked to the doors to the main office when Alec turned to me.

"I don't want to hate each other anymore. Friends?" He held out his hand.

I shook his hand, "Friends."

I walked to my room when I heard a croak from another room.

"Anna?" I walked into the room and found Jane on her bed, curled against the wall.

"Yes?"

"You're friends with Alec?" I nodded.

Her face was laced with pain. My heart nearly broke.

"Could—Could you be careful with him? I don't want him to get hurt." Her eyes bore onto mine, "Please?"

How could I deny such a request? "Okay."

"Thank you." She said, and turned her head.

"Jane?" she looked back up at me, this time with a more pained expression.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

She cringed, and tried to lie, "Yes." I nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind me.

What was wrong with her?

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**Reviews are love!**


	15. Unexpected

**Oh. My. God.**

**Last night, I hit the 1,000 mark on hits... for THIS MONTH! Thank you guys so much (and this isn't just Red Eyed Beauty--this is for anyone who has read ANY of my stories. Thank you!)**

**I'm super excited about the hits, but maybe one of those 1,000 times people visited, they could leave a review? Come on, people, we're all writers here. We all know how good reviews feel. Why not drop one? You might get one in return.**

**It seems as the people who haven't written anything seem to be reviewing more often. Oh, the irony...**

**Sorry this chapter is so short. A filler to the main plot, but I feel it's necessary, so yeah. Screw you.**

**Oh! Before I forget, if you guys like my work, drop by my livejournal. I don't post EVERYTHING here, so if you need a fix, check it out.**

**This chapter is especially dedicated to this-heart, who inspired this chapter. Seriously, her stuff rocks. Maybe it's weird and sort of gross (in a good way) but you all should love it. Seriously. This is to you. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 15: Unexpected**

The worst part of being part of the coven is the meetings. The brothers and their wives (Except for me. I'm not a wife) have a meeting to discuss what to do about whatever current situation is going on. Though the wives never leave (once again, except for me) they are part of the decision-making process.

This particular meeting, I was sitting next to Sulpicia. Athenodora was on the other side of her. Marcus was directly across from me, and Caius from his wife. We were waiting for Aro. I started to drift in my mind to Jane.

Throughout the whole coven, everyone knew about Jane's recent angst. No one knew why, though. She wouldn't speak to anyone, and the only person she would let talk to her was Alec. We were all concerned about her.

Even Marcus was concerned. He talked about it with me the week before, when we were preparing for a different meeting.

"I'm just not sure if this is all cut out for her, you know? She is only a child."

"Her brother is fine, though. What could be bothering her?"

He shrugged, "She's never been so coy. Maybe she is planning something."

Alec had time and time again told me of his concern for his twin sister. He wanted what was best for her. At this point, no one knew.

My mind started to drift to another subject as time passed. This time to Didyme.

Marcus had time and time again told me that I was his one and only. He would only love me. I believed him in that. I never thought he wouldn't be loyal. But a vampire's connections are so much stronger than a human's. They are nearly impossible to break. Did he still love her? I pinch of jealousy raided me. Did he love her more than _me?_

I had talked to numerous people around about it, and they all seemed to have the same answer. They truly believed that Marcus loved me and me only. Still, the thought plagued my mind more than anything else.

Sulpicia sighed after another five minutes and said what we were thinking: "Where's Aro?"

CRASH! I jumped from the noise. No one reacted.

CRASH!

I knew I shouldn't have gone to the sound of the noise; people fought all the time. But something about the noise frightened me. Something made me run out the door to the offending sound.

Jane.

"Get OUT!" She screamed as she threw a glass vase. Aro ducked just in time for it to smash into the wall and leave a dent behind this.

"Jane, if we could just—"

"NO!" she shot pain towards him, and he fell over in agony. She stomped towards him.

"Go!" She screamed. He got up and dashed out. I followed. He walked into his room and sat next to his fireplace, putting his face in his hands. He sighed.

"What's wrong with Jane, Aro?" I asked, because I knew that he knew. It was obvious.

He sighed once more and looked at me, "Oh, Anna. Something that you and I both could not have suspected."

I waited, urging him on. He motioned me to sit. I complied.

"I went into her room because I was concerned. She is like a daughter to me. I hate for her to be sad." He sighed again, "She was curled up into a ball by the edge of the bed. She didn't notice me coming in. I touched her face." His voice cracked. "And I saw everything. All of her thoughts from the past month. She—" he faltered.

"What's wrong with her, Aro?"

He looked up at me, "She's in love with me."

I gasped.

"I never thought, it just seemed, she's just a child." He tried to form a coherent sentence, "The look on her face when I saw was just, horrified. She saw my reaction. How could she not? Out of embarrassment, she chased me out." He hung his head, "I saw everything. The way she sees me, her desire, her _lust_. It frightens me. I don't know what to say to her."

"I'll talk to her." I said. He nodded thanks before I was off to Jane's room.

I walked in slowly, trying not to make too much of a commotion. She was curled up again, this time in the middle of the bed. Her face was buried in a pillow.

"Jane?" I said, walking toward her.

"Go away." She whispered. I pulled the pillow from her face. She didn't fight it. Her eyes were empty. She had no life in her anymore. My heart broke. Was this what Marcus felt like?

"Jane." I tried to say, but she interrupted me.

"He doesn't love me." She shook her head. "What else is there to say? I'm just a naïve child. What would I know about love?" I could tell she was trying to convince herself more than me.

"Jane," I brushed her hair from her face, and a sob broke out from her chest. She hugged her knees closer to her chest. I pulled her into my arms, and she broke down. She sobbed hard into my chest, and pulled at my shirt weakly. I wrapped my cloak around her and held her closer. After about a half hour of her crying, she sniffled and laid her head against my chest. She stared off into space. Aro was right. She might act like a mature adult, she was still just a child.

"Anna?"

"Yes?" I swept her hair from her face again.

"Do you know what it feels like to love someone that doesn't love you the same?"

She didn't have to ask. She knew the answer.

"Yes."

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**Unexpected, yes? Even you, Kira, couldn't have expected that.**

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**-Nova**


	16. Echo

**I just wanted to take the tine to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed and read this story. Without you, I wouldn't have kept writing.**

**Thanks, and enjoy!**

**Chapter 16: Echo**

I stayed with Jane for about a week, constantly soothing her of her endless agony. She would curl into my chest sobbing, or sometimes would ask me to go to the other side of the room so she could think by herself. I complied.

Alec camped outside of the door. He was so concerned for his baby sister (He was 10 minutes older: a random fact picked up while on a walk with him) Whenever I left the room, he would immediately jump up, asking if he could talk to her. Each time I would say no, and he would slump back down onto the floor.

"She just needs some time." I said, "She'll come around."

Marcus was concerned as well, but his impatience was clearly seen. He wanted me back in his arms, where I belonged.

"Please, come back to me," he pleaded, "This is pure agony."

"I know," I would say, "I'll be home soon." I would then explain what exactly I would do once I got home, and that usually shut him up.

For the past months I felt that there was a wall between Marcus and me, but I wasn't able to find it now. I felt complete with him around. Whole, one could say. It made me more sympathetic for Jane. I didn't know what I would do without Marcus by my side. He was my other half, and I couldn't live without him.

When I was in her room, Jane and I would discuss random things, mostly unimportant things and chitchat. She wanted to stay away from the reason of my stay with her. She really needed a friend, and not one that she shared a womb with. We would discuss a wide variety of topics, from politics to the next great scientific discovery.

I never would have guessed that she was so kind. She was always so rude and protective before. But by breaking away the shell she formed, I could see a beautiful girl, just wanting to fit in to an adult world. It was depressing.

"Why were you so mean to me before, Jane?" I asked one morning.

She sighed and turned away from me, "I always have felt alone. Sure, Alec was here, but he was no support to the agony I feel. When I started to develop, _feelings_, for my master, I started to sympathize Marcus. I felt a little more belonging, because Marcus and I shared an understanding. A lost love, you could say. Though he didn't know it, I knew how he felt.

"When you came, I could read Marcus' expressions easily. He thought you were beautiful. He wanted you to be his. He became alive again. I suddenly felt angry. How could you, a silly human girl, take the heart of a man who has been dead for centuries? It made me lose hope. I felt alone again.

"I stayed in this room after that. I didn't want to be near Aro, Marcus, you, or anyone else. Especially you." She turned her head, "I was afraid you would be mad at me."

"Mad at you for what?"

"Mad at me for hurting you."

I sighed, "Jane, that's all behind us now. I'm not mad." I looked in her eyes, "Look, everyone here loves and cares about you. No one is out to get you. I promise." I laughed, "There is a boy out there dying to talk to you. Why don't you give him a chance?" She smiled, and nodded. "I'll go get him." I said, and walked out the door.

This time, Alec didn't bother to jump up. He thought she was still mad. I tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up.

"I think someone wants to see you," I said, and walked down the hall.

It felt good to get away from the small room Jane owned, and I was glad that maybe this would be over within a day or two. I sure hoped so.

A saxophone playing across the hall interrupted my train of thought.

I had never been in this room, and no one had ever introduced it to me. It was a giant room full of instruments; probably the ones the guard likes to play. The guitars and basses were on the north wall, and all the jazz instruments were on the east wall. Marcus was sitting on top of a grand piano, playing the song he wrote for me. I snuck in and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

"Hello, love." I murmured, and placed a kiss on his cheek. I nuzzled against his neck.

He smiled, "Good to see you again." He flipped me around so I was straddling his lap. He kissed me fiercely. "I missed you so much," he groaned, and held me closer.

"Not here," I whispered against his lips. He groaned in protest. I laughed, "I don't want to break the piano." I swung my legs around and plopped down on the bench. He followed suit.

"Do you play?" he asked while I plucked some keys.

I nodded, "I did when I was human. I can't remember playing since I was a little girl."

_Oh, but you did. You played a lot._

I plucked a few keys before a song came to mind.

"I don't remember where I heard this," I murmured, and began to play.

You are the lighthouse, the seamark

The tempests created this tide

I'm pulled to the black silver ocean

where the current and the heavens collide

You are the brick

I am so unpredictable

led by the current away

Your solid stage is so necessary to save

all those who stray

Marcus buried his face in my neck and sighed, placing a kiss on my neck. I smiled and continued to play.

You are the navigator who never could lead

we were lost in the silver sea

I was the ship who was too proud to ever sink.

I am your thought but the water is amnesia

my name is on the tip of your tongue

My image is slipping

but your memory is gripping it

this is my breath in your lungs

You are the navigator who never could lead

we were lost in the silver sea

I was the ship who was too proud to ever sink.

I stopped and sighed, "I can't remember the rest."

_That's because HE played it with you._

Marcus swooped me up in his arms and set me down on top of the piano. "It's okay, love. Forget about the past. Just focus on now, here." He kissed me, "And me."

"Marcus, no." I stopped him, "We'll break the piano."

"Don't worry, sweetheart." He whispered, and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I'll be gentle."

And that night, we made our own music.

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**The song is Echo by The Hush Sound. One of my favorites. Check it out.**

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**Thanks again!**

**-Nova**


	17. The Vegetarians

**I was going to have this done by Wednesday, but Tuesday I got ill, and I can't focus on anything when I am sick. Sorry! But I hope you enjoy this!**

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**Chapter 17: The Vegetarians**

_Meanwhile…_

_He paced back and forth in the home they used to share, waiting for the police to come to the home to tell him the answer he wanted: she was alive. He was sure of it. It had to be true. He couldn't live without her. The clock struck twelve, and at just the right time, the doorbell rung. He ran to the door, flung it open, and saw two police men, both with pained looks on their faces. The taller one put his hand on the young man's shoulder, and handed him a letter with an apology. He turned away from the door and walked to the middle of the living room slowly. The letter had his name on the front in her writing, but for some reason, it looked different; he couldn't put a finger on it. He took the paper out of its envelope, and read the text:_

_"My love,_

_I just can't take it anymore. My life has turned upside down and is spiraling out of control. I'm living in a small town where everyone speaks a different language; I feel like an alien. No one respects me. It's driving me crazy._

_I thought that coming here would help me run away from the problems with my father, but in reality, they are much better than what I am going through here. I may not be hurt as badly, but my heart aches more. I can no longer afford my home; the payments have become too high for my income. I will be evicted soon. I will be homeless._

_I may not have a good excuse to do this in your eyes, but life has become too much for me. I guess I am just like my sister after all. It would be nice to come home to you, where we could make love in the nights and play our music in the mornings. Where we wouldn't care what other people thought and just _lived._ But that is not going to happen. You know that._

_I'm going to kill myself. There is a cliff that overhangs a river about an hour from here. After I write this I am driving down there, and jumping off._

_I love you, and I want you to be happy. This is goodbye._

_I love you."_

_She didn't sign it._

_By the end of the note, he was shaking hard. Tears were leaking from his eyes. At the final word, he collapsed, sobbing into the paper, saying her name over and over again._

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"Anna!" the moment I got in Marcus ran to me, swooping me up a hug and kissing me deeply. I giggled into his lips and pulled back to see his face.

"I guess someone missed me."

He sighed, "A week is painful. Agonizing, really. I'm going with you next time."

"You should," I replied, resting my forehead against his, "I would like that. Vampire justice just isn't fun without you."

"I know something else that isn't fun without you," he whispered huskily in my ear, and ran to our room to demonstrate.

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"So is the incubus real?" I sent the book across the room with my mind and into the bookshelf. Taking out another one, I looked through the myths.

"Mm, yes." He said, resting his head on my cloak-covered knee. He moved the fabric and kissed my flesh. He was wearing only his cloak, as was I. we were sitting on our bed. "I've heard stories, seen paintings. I've only seen proof once."

"Who?"

"The Cullens."

"Who?"

He laughed, "The Cullens are another coven. Big one, too. Eight vampires, one mutant. They have a family."

I tilted my head to the side in wonder, "How did that happen?"

"One of the Cullen boys fell in love with a human, and she fell in love with him. They did it, had a kid. Pretty simple concept."

"But, HOW did he have that control?" I thought back to the secretary I killed last week. She tasted nice. Fruity, somehow.

"The Cullens are vegetarians."

"Vegetarians?"

"Well, not really. But the concept is true. They only drink animal blood. The leader, Carlisle, is a doctor. Amazing work and dedication that man puts in, I swear."

I sat up straighter, "Huh. So did they just find each other or something? That's pretty big."

"Carlisle changed all of them when they were dying. Well, except for two. The child is interesting. She has this power where she can insert her thoughts into your head. It's pretty cool. I think her name is, Rafaela? Reynosa? I don't know. Something like that."

"Hmm," I absentmindedly traced circles on his chest.

"They're sick bastards, I'll tell you."

I looked up, "Why?"

"He took innocent lives because of loneliness. That's not right."

I stared at him in shock, "Excuse me?"

"What?"

"Not right? Marcus, we take innocent lives everyday."

"We need to."

"No we don't!" I jumped up and out of bed, "Why _don't_ we live like them? We don't need human blood."

"Anna, that's not the point—"

"Then what is?" My voice rose, "We kill people for food we already have! We take lives to make them powerful! If what we do is right, how can they not be?"

He stood up, putting his hands up to calm me down, "Anna, you don't know what you're saying."

I took a shaky unneeded breath, "What about me? You killed me."

He stopped. "So, do you not want this? Do you not CARE?" His voice raised, "Yeah, I took your life, but who gives a shit? If I didn't you wouldn't have THIS! We couldn't be together! You are here now, and we can't do anything to make you human again. It's over, Annabelle. No one is fighting for your humanity anymore. We wanted you as a vampire, and now you are. Get over it."

_Was HE ever this harsh? He cared about you more. He loved you more._

No, he wasn't. I don't even remember him, and he wasn't.

A knock on the door broke our fight. We scrambled for some clothes to put on besides the cloaks. Caius walked in.

"Get ready, kiddies. Army of newborns in New Mexico. We're going out."

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	18. The Search

**Yeah, I know. Livejournal has become my obsession. I really need to get a life.**

**While I search for one, enjoy this chapter.**

**Chapter 18: The Search**

Marcus pushed past me, walking out of the room. I had an urge to scream. I suppressed it.

"Get ready," Caius said, and walked out.

Sighing, I went to the closet. _What to wear…_

I picked up Marcus' white button-up. I held it up to my nose. It smelled of musk and a scent that was oh-so-very-much-him. I slipped it on with a pair of jeans. Walking out, I met up with Jane on the way to the meeting room.

"You okay?" she asked me. I nodded weakly. "No, you're not." She stopped me. "What's wrong?" I explained to her the fight. She laughed, "That's all? Don't worry about it. He's quick to forgive." I smiled and walked through the doors.

"No," Aro said.

"Yes." Marcus replied.

Aro sighed, "Fine. We have a very capable guard, but if you insist." Walking past us, he flashed a smile at Jane. She smirked back. It was nice that they had come to terms once again. It was getting annoying.

Marcus walked up to me. "I'm coming with you."

"What?" I croaked.

"I'm coming with you." He grabbed my hand and swung me into the corner, "I'm sorry I hurt you." He said, a sweet smile on his face, "I love you," and kissed my lips softly.

"I was overreacting." I said.

He smirked, "Good to know you agree with me." He walked away. I tried to figure out when I said that.

Caius gathered us around him, "Newborns are vicious. I think you all know that. I will not be joining you; I apologize for that. You know where to go, so get the hell out of here." We were pushed out.

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I lounged back in my seat on the airplane. It was nice to know I didn't have to spend 11 hours of agony with humans on a crowded airplane. The Volturi had a private jet. I loved it.

"Are we there yet?" Alec complained. I giggled. He was so eager to fight.

"We're not going straight there, dumbass," Felix explained, "We are heading to Vancouver. We run from there." Alec groaned. I laughed again.

The flight was calm for the most part. Alec and Felix nearly crashed us when they got into a fight. Corin broke them up. We landed in an empty terminal. I shivered at the thought.

"We head south down through California, then west to New Mexico, got it?" we nodded, and took off.

It was difficult to keep moving with the sun. We had to keep moving near trees and under shade, or the sparkle from our skin would be noticed by something. It was especially difficult near LA to find any shade. We had to go inside and stay in rooms until night fell. The bed was nice.

Slipping out at about midnight, we ran out of the city and began to near Arizona. It was apparent that people were getting thirsty. We kept running until about two the next morning, then began to hunt.

Demetri sniffed the air, "A group of hikers about ten miles from here."

"How many?" Alec popped up excitedly.

"About twenty."

"Excellent." We headed to our desired destination.

The hikers froze in their tracks when we circled them. They were mostly men, with a few women there. I looked for my prey. A man looked at me in pure terror. He had black hair and a goatee. Excellent.

We broke off, some attacking immediately, others stalking their prey. I chased the man about a hundred yards before he stopped.

"Okay. I give up." He said shakily, raising his hands up.

I decided to play, "I'm not going to hurt you," I said, coming closer to him. He didn't move.

"Y-you won't?"

"No, silly." I got nearer to his lips, "I find you most attractive."

He started breathing in pants.

I softly brushed my lips against his. He jumped, shocked, but complied and kissed back. I trailed kisses down to his neck. He held me closer to his body. I smiled. Jackpot.

I bit down hard, eliciting a gurgling noise to sound from his mouth. I greedily sucked the life of the man as he tried to squirm. Frustrated, I snapped his neck. He fell slack. Much better.

I drained every last drop out of him before dropping him on the ground. He was pale, his eyes bulging out in horror. It was truly a beautiful sight.

I saw Marcus growl angrily at me as I joined the group.

"Jealous much?" I said playfully before prancing in front of him. I loved messing with him.

"We're almost there," Demetri said eagerly. We ran faster. Marcus started running in front of me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I angrily asked.

"You are my _girlfriend. _I want to protect you." I heard the way he snarled _girlfriend_. He had asked me to marry him multiple times, but I would repeatedly tell him that I didn't believe in marriage. It was a lie, but something provoked me to say no. I don't know what, but it was strong in saying no.

"I don't need protection, Marcus," I tried to run in front of him, but he blocked me. That son-of-a—

We stopped. Before us stood a group of red eyed, keyed up vampires.

Demetri smirked, "Newborns."

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	19. Breakdown

**Sorry, I've been busy. This one's dedicated to the guys of the podcast Writing Excuses, who conveniently did a segment on writing fight scenes this week. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 19: Breakdown**

My eyes trailed over the bloodthirsty enemies in front of me. Their eyes were a bright red, trailing across our army in a scared-but-fierce look. There was a wide range, from tall muscular men to stick-and-bone thin women. A man stepped out of the group. His red hair stretched down to his feet. He looked right at me and gave me an I'm-gunna-kick-your-ass kind of look. The phrase _if looks could kill_ came to mind.

"Well, my children, look who it is?" the man addressed his army, "It's the Volturi." Snarls. He turned to us, "May we help you?"

Caius snarled, "I think you know why we're here, asshole."

The man laughed, "What, are we causing a problem? We're only going after our primal instinct, isn't that right, my children?" more snarls. "You can't blame us for that."

I looked down at the floor, and watched the fog Alec was creating slowly creep across the dirt. Just a little longer…

"You broke the rules. You know the consequences." Caius was getting angry. I knew this wasn't going to last long.

"Well, boys. I guess we'll just have to—" the man crumpled to the floor, a screech in his throat. I looked at Jane while she attacked the man with her mind. Looking up, we watched as Alec's power started to affect people. The mist wrapped around each person discreetly, blanking them out. I sighed. Maybe one day I would actually be able to fight a real battle. Someday.

I counted to three. One, two…

"Three."

We lunged.

The best part about these battles is that there is no fighting back, so we can do whatever we want while fighting. We once played soccer with a man's head. He shrieked and shrieked. It was hilarious. Then we kicked the head over a fence into an old woman's backyard. That poor woman had to die. She did taste good, though.

A torso hit the top of my head. I looked to see Marcus ripping apart the rest of the man. I growled.

"Asshole!" I chucked an arm at him. It hit him in the groin. Serves him right. I suddenly felt bad. He was just playing.

I grabbed another body and started tearing. The shrieking noise plus the burning smell of success was amazing. Almost as good as blood. Almost.

We were almost done. Caius ordered everyone to leave the red-haired man be until the end. Pits of ash were laying everywhere. The screeching sound of torn skin was disappearing, until there was only one left.

We watched as Caius circled the red-haired beast slowly. He turned to Alec. "Let him go." He ordered. Alec obeyed.

The man snapped into reality, "No, no please do—"

Caius was on him in an instant. He ripped and tore until the man was a mess of limbs. He took out his matchbox, lit a match, and threw it into the pile. Purple flames burst through the match. It was beautifully tragic.

"Let's go." We left swiftly, leaving the bodies to burn.

We got about 500 miles before an arm reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the woods. He turned me around and stared at me angrily.

"What the hell was that all about?" He growled.

"What?"

"The arm!" He yelled, "What the fuck, Anna? I was just kidding around!"

Now I was angry, "Excuse me? Joking around? You threw a fucking torso at my head!"

"I didn't hurt you!"

"And how would you know, huh?" I put my hands on my hips, "You never asked me if I was okay. You never asked if I was upset!"

"That's bullshit. You weren't hurt and you know it!"

"Then how do I know I hurt you? You never told me."

"You hit me in the crotch!"

This was getting ridiculous. He was so sensitive. How could anyone act this way? Anger was boiling in my chest, rolling through my body. My head felt hot, my limbs tight. Some sort of emotion was assembling inside of me. Something I never felt before. I didn't know what it was. It frightened me.

But for some reason, my body called out to it. It screamed for me to release it. My mind couldn't win. It had to come, it had to say…

"I hate you."

Everything happened at once.

A hand, once so gentle and sweet, became fast and furious, rising over an irate face, and came down hard, making contact with my cheek. My face stung as my head whipped to the side.

I froze.

Oh. My. God.

He slapped me.

I shakily put my hand up to my face in shock.

No, no, no.

Marcus' face matched mine. He looked at his hand in alarm, then looked at me. I returned his gaze.

We stared for the longest time, my hand still on my cheek. No one spoke for a long time.

"Anna, I—"

I took off.

I ran as fast as I could, the wind whipping against my face. My eyes felt unbelievably dry. I let out a sob.

The voice came back, screaming words at me. I could barely hear the outside world.

_HE never hit you._

_He would NEVER hit you._

_He doesn't love someone else._

_He loves you._

_Marcus doesn't love you._

_Marcus will never love you._

_But HE will._

_Leave Marcus._

_HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!_

"SHUT UP!" I broke a tree off by the roots and threw it, killing five more in the process. I looked around.

It was silent.

I shakily bent down on my knees and buried my face in my hands.

I cried.

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	20. The Decent

**I know, I know. I have been hiding for the past month. I can explain, really, and the people that know me can tell you it's true. I've been super busy. School's been really hard on me, along with applications for the school I'm going to and many other important projects going on. I never had the time. I'm so sorry.**

**This one is a bit short, but it's for good reason. This was never meant to be a long one anyway (I'm not a slacker!!!) I hope you enjoy, and I apologize for my absence. **

**Chapter 20: The Decent**

The ride home was silent. I dragged behind from the group while running and sat in the very back of the plane on the long ride home. I sat staring out the window, watching the clouds rush by me as thought about the previous events. The soft delicate hand, the beautiful face turned horrid, and the sting of the hand across my face. I didn't want to think about it, but my mind kept drifting to it. I would have blamed the voice for the memories, but it was gone. Jane kept looking at me from a couple of seats ahead, and each time I would tell her I was fine and I just wanted to be alone. She would nod and turn away. She knew that I wasn't.

Marcus was also looking at me, anguish painted his face. He was upset, that much was certain. But I was too upset to talk to him. I couldn't let myself hurt him, even if he did the same to me.

My love for him was decreasing. I fought the flames, the anger threatening us. I was using everything I had. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him, even if he wasn't what I wanted. The thought ripped the hole in my chest further. I never wanted to lose him. It didn't matter if I didn't love him the same, it didn't matter if he hit me. I needed him. I just didn't know how yet.

I love him. I love him, I love him, I love him.

Do I?

The sense of uncertainty gave me shivers.

It was late when we arrived. I nearly leaped out of the plane, wanting to get home as soon as possible. The halls of the underground palace felt empty and cold. It gave me chills. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Anna," I turned to see Jane standing behind me, "Come with me." She smiled. I followed her to her room.

We sat on the bed, "Yes?" I said.

"Marcus."

"What about him?"

She seemed confused, "Aren't you angry?"

I considered the question for a moment, I was unsure.

She sighed, "Well, at least you were able to convince him that you loved him. Aro wouldn't budge."

I froze, "W-what?"

"I was so _tired_ of being the little one, only on the guard. I've seen how vampires move up in rank when they are dating another. It struck a chord in my head. Aro favored me; so it didn't seem too hard to, _entice_ him.

"So I planned. I figured out what I would need to do to woo him. Keeping track of what he did, what interested him, and especially how to keep a secret.

"I figured out how about a week before you arrived. I was scared of you; I thought you would foil my plan. I never knew why I felt that way; you were just a human, a silly, foolish human."

I stared at her with wide eyes, "But, what about that day? The day you told him?"

She laughed, "I wasn't crying because I loved him; I was crying because my plan was ruined. It didn't work. It infuriated me. It just so happens that my anger worked in my favor."

I stared at the floor. I couldn't look at her.

"If I were you it'd be best to stay with him."

I looked up.

"It wouldn't be smart to break up with him. He would take it the wrong way. There could be fatal consequences."

I gasped and held on to the bedpost, fearing that I would fall.

"He wouldn't."

"He would."

I shut my eyes tight.

"You know it's true, Anna. He would do it."

I tried to hold back a cry as she stood up.

"Come on," she said, "We need to go. Let's get out of here."

We lay in bed, his arm protectively around my waist. I was staring out the window, his breath cold at my ear. The heat from outside felt incredible.

He had apologized. I never did formally accept, but what choice did I have? He still loved me, and that was the only way I could survive here. There was no other way.

No, there was no other way.


	21. The Truth

**Okay, I have a lot of explaining to do.**

**Life has been so busy that I have had no time to write anything. It's depressing, really. I hadn't written in nearly 3 months! But I do have another confession: I really never wanted to write anymore. I just wasn't motivated. **

**Today on the way back from London I had a spark and I wrote 5 chapters in advance. i forgot how much I loved this.**

**This chapter goes out to Bella (again) for pushing me even when I really didn't want to finish.**

**Chapter 21: The Truth**

"Do you love me?"

The question surprised me, "What?"

"I know it's a strange question for me to ask," he chuckled, "I feel silly for asking. But I just want to know. I love you. You know that."

"Yes."

"So do you?"

"Yes"

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Then why are you being so short?"

I turned in his arms, "Why are you asking so many questions?"

He sighed, "Sometimes I just don't know anymore, Anna. I mean, you _have_ been a bit distant lately."

He was right on that part. I'd been in a daze lately. I really didn't know why. I felt like there was something I didn't know. Not from anyone, really, but from myself. I was keeping a secret from myself.

Maybe I was crazy.

"Marcus," I looked in his eyes. Those beautiful velvet eyes that caught me every time. He was so beautiful.

"I love you. I apologize for being so short, but I don't know what else to say. I mean, how could you ask that after…" I gestured to the bed. "Baby, I love you. I love you so much. Don't ever think that I wouldn't. Don't ever."

A smile spread across his face, "Baby?"

"Yeah, baby."

"I haven't heard that before."

"I know "

"I like it."

I kissed him, "Then it will stay."

* * *

"You know what I've noticed?"

"What _now_? You've said that a billion times already."

"There's no need to be a smartass, Anna."

"Just get to the point, Gianna."

She set her book down, "I think Marcus is forgetting her."

I looked up from my book. "Vampires don't forget."

"So you're comparing us to elephants?"

I groaned and put my book down, "Stop!"

She laughed, "But you know what I mean, right? She's not on his mind as much." She looked down, "He's so alive now. There's something in him now, a personality that was never there. Didyme was his first love, but it seems she's been replaced."

I smiled, "You really think so?"

"Of course."

I smiled, "Thanks, Gianna. That means a lot, really."

She smiled back, "I only tell the truth, kid."

* * *

"Marcus? Marcus?" I looked down the hallway, "Marcus?"

I walked up to the new secretary. She looked at me in horror and sunk a little in her chair. I tried not to laugh. It was typical. She was fine with the guard, but the actual clan she was terrified of.

"M-may I h-help you?" She asked, "M-ma'am?"

What was her name? Sally? Margaret? Hell, I don't think I ever learned it. "Have you seen my husband?"

She paused. It was apparent that she had no clue who I was. She broke out in a sweat.

"Marcus."

"Oh! Marcus, yes. I'm sorry, ma'am. So, so sorry."

I laughed, "It's alright. Calm down, okay? I won't bite."

She nodded her head quickly, "Yes, yes, okay. Last time I saw him he was heading." She looked around, "That way."

"How long ago?"

"Just about five minutes, ma'am."

"You sure?"

"Yes ma'am."

I waved, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, ma'am."

"And kid?"

She looked up, "Yes ma'am?"

"No need to call me ma'am."

She nodded quickly, "Will do."

* * *

"Marcus?" I looked down the hall the girl pointed to. No one. I checked some of the rooms. Nope. Stopping at the Hall of Mortality, I heard a voice in the room. I went to check.

The Hall of Mortality is a giant room filled with graves of every vampire that has ever been in the Volturi. They are organized by rank, gender, then by name. Each grave is a flat panel in the ground with their names, ranks, and the years of their life and death. A gold picture frame stands above the panel with the picture of the deceased, and two fake black roses stand by it, to represent immortality and the beauty of death.

The walkways were lined with red candles that burn everyday. I watched them burn as I walked along the path to the intruding sound. I silently prayed it wasn't him.

I turned the corner and froze.

Dear God.

Marcus.

His cloak was over his head, and in his kneeling position it completely covered him. His hands were in a prayer position. I looked at the picture and gasped.

Didyme.

I hid behind a corner to listen.

"Hey Dee," He said, his eyes looking at the picture, "How are you? I hope heaven is treating you well."

_Or Hell_, I thought.

"How's your baby? Is he there too? I wish I could've given you a child of our own. He would've been beautiful." He paused and swallowed, "E-everything's okay here, love. Your brother's done a lot for us. He's a good man, you know that." He laughed, "H-he said the funniest thing today…" His eyes spaced, "H-he…"

He collapsed.

His body heaved with hard sobs, his hands balled in fists, his head to the floor. He was a broken man.

Broken.

I never fixed him.

"I-I miss you Didyme." He looked up at the picture once again, "I want you home, baby girl. Life is empty without you. And I promise, the girl? She's nothing compared to you. She never could be. You are the most amazing, beautiful woman I will ever know. I love you, Didyme."

It was too much. I ran out of the hall and collapsed by the door. Sobs overwhelmed my body.

_No, don't love her. Please._

My mind was racing.

_Why should I care?_

But I do, dear God I do.

_I love you, Marcus. _

I closed my eyes.

"You thought he would forget her?" I looked up.

Aro.

"Silly girl. He would never forget her. Our emotions are so powerful that when we're attached to someone, the bond will never break."

I looked away.

"That's why I don't make any attachments to anyone. The only person I'll ever care about is my wife, and she's safe, I can assure that."

"And how can you be sure of that? Didyme was killed here, right in the castle."

"True, but that is only because I killed her myself."

I looked up at him in horror.

"My sister was a great woman, but she distracted Marcus from his goal, _our_ goal. We had a plan, and it was for power." He down at me hard, "She made him think of silly ideas of leaving the castle and living in the country." He sighed, "Foolish girl. I had to kill her."

I was shaking my head frantically, "No."

"We're all power hungry."

"No."

"He doesn't really love you."

I bit my lip and looked down, "No."

He straightened up, "You're easily disposable, Annabelle. You don't matter."

I couldn't look at him anymore. I was empty.

_Empty._


	22. Ammunition

**I'm updating regularly now! Yay! I'm proud :P**

**Chapter 22: Ammunition**

_Something smooth? Maybe a bit upbeat after the first ten stanzas? What about the ending? Nothing seems to match this beginning!_

"DAMNIT!" I slammed my pencil to the ground and threw the blank music sheet to the ground. Nothing seemed to work with the piece I was working on. Ten stanzas down. Not much at all, but a beautiful start. I crumbled the pencil to dust in my hand. It's no use. My mind was too preoccupied. I closed my eyes. Marcus needs to be alone, and I need to finish this piece. It'll be beautiful, it will!

"Anna?"

I looked to the front of the room and saw Alec.

_Damnit Alec!_

"Aro has sent for you. Are you okay?"

I threw the pencil dust on the floor.

He sighed, "I know it's tough. I'm sorry that you're going through this."

I was shaky, "I'm alright."

He sat on the bench next to me and gave me a hug. Hugging him back, I held back the sobs threatening to escape.

"It will be okay, Anna."

"I know."

"And I'll be here if you need someone to talk to."

I looked at the boy. He was truly a saint. "Thank you Alec." I laughed, "Why are you so different from your sister? You would think that you two would act the same, being twins and all."

He laughed, "Want to know the secret?"

"Yes."

"I'm the older one."

I smiled, "So that makes you the better one?"

"Of course."

I laughed and ruffled his hair, "You're a good kid, Alec. I hope you know that." I stood up, "Now come along, I have a meeting to go to."

* * *

Alec held the door for me as I stepped in the meeting room. It felt strangely cold today. Aro and Caius were there, along with their wives. Marcus was not there. I choked up at the pain.

"You may leave now Alec, thank you." Aro gestured him to leave. Alec smiled at me before walking out, shutting the door behind him.

"Sit down, Anna."

I sat.

"Where's Marcus?" I asked.

"He will not be joining us today. I thought that it might be better to have this meeting without his affect on you."

I gulped.

"Now, you have been here for over a year and a half now, and you have managed to be a great deal of help to us. As a partner to Marcus, you are not obligated to do any duty, but you continue to work, and we thank you for that."

I nodded my head.

"Since you have been so successful in your endeavors, we have decided to assign you to this job. It is in our best interest that you succeed. It is for the better of the clan."

"Okay, what is it?"

"We want you to murder Alec."

Oh. My. God.

"It's a major feat, but we know that you can do it. You have the ability, Anna."

I was panting, "And if I don't?"

"We will kill you."

My eyes widened further.

"You can do it, Annabelle. We have faith in you."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I'm not going to do it."

"Yes, you will."

"I'M NOT!" I jumped up, "What are you thinking? He's one of the greatest guards you have here! He's got skill I wish I had! Without him you will have nothing! NOTHING!"

His expression didn't change; his eyes still cold.

"You have three days." He waved his hand, "Now leave me."

I stumbled out of the room and collapsed in front of the room. I let out a cry before hanging my head. Marcus found me and picked me up, taking me into our room. Laying me on our bed, he brushed the hair from my face and kissed my forehead. I turned to my side. I didn't want to talk to him. It was too painful.

What was I going to do now?

* * *

**Review please!**


	23. Time Bomb

**I woke up really early, so I thought I'd treat you guys with a new chapter. Enjoy.**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter 23: Time Bomb**

One last day.

I had one last day with him.

One last day to talk with him and be with him. One last day…

One last day before I kill him.

It was hard to think about. He was a wonderful kid. He was truthful, honest, sweet; he's like a son to me now.

What will I do?

"You wanted to see me, Anna?" Alec stood by my door.

"Yes," I looked at the floor, "Would you like to spend the day with me? I need a day out."

"What about Marcus?"

"Busy."

"Gianna?"

"Same."

He looked at his hands, "Well, I don't know if my sister will—"

"Please?"

He heard the desperation in my voice and looked up, "Um, yeah, okay. Let's go."

"So where do you want to go?"

"I don't know," he said, looking at the subway, "This is your day, you know."

I shook my head, "No, it's your choice. Go."

He thought for a moment, "The ferris wheel, down the way."

"Okay."

We took the train to the wheel, trying to look as normal as possible. I had my green contacts in. He had his brown ones in.

A bump hit and the passengers standing stumbled. We had seats beforehand, but Alec made me get up for a pregnant woman and her 6-year-old son. He was so kind.

We arrived at the pier and Alec eagerly pulled me out of the subway and to the ferris wheel. We bought the tickets and stood in the line.

"This is my favorite thing to do when we go out," he said, "I love looking at the view from up there."

"Is it pretty?"

"It's beautiful! The water runs underneath you and it sparkles. My favorite time is at sunset. The whole sky is orange."

"Would you rather go then?"

"No, we're here now."

We stepped up in line.

"Have you ever been on the London Eye?"

"No. What's that?"

"Only the largest ferris wheel in the world! It's 30 minutes long, and you sit in these giant pods with 20 other people. The wheel sits right on the Thames River, which flows right through London!" He was excited telling this; it made me laugh. "The view is beautiful! You can see the clock tower—"

"Big Ben, right?"

"No, that's the bell inside."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it's gorgeous."

I smiled at him. "I would like to go on one day."

He smiled, "You should."

We got to the front and sat on the bench as it started moving. Alec looked at me sweetly, "Thank you for taking me on this. It was very kind of you."

I smiled, "You're welcome."

"Look! We're at the top! Do you see the view?"

I looked out and saw the most gorgeous view of Volterra I had ever seen.

"It's beautiful."

"I know."

A voice came over the loudspeaker, "We are experiencing some technical difficulties. Please stay calm and we'll get the ride moving shortly."

He laughed, "Well, I guess we're up here for a while."

"I guess so."

We stared out into the horizon for a while before I spoke again.

"A-Alec?"

"Yes Anna?"

"I-I." I didn't know what to say, "I just wanted to say that, um, I,"

"What is it, Anna?"

"Y-you're a great kid, Alec. You're kind, funny, sweet, and charming."

He beamed, "Thank you."

"A-and I'm going to miss you when you're gone."

He looked at me funny, "Gone? Where?"

I tried to save myself, "I mean whenever I leave, or when one of us is gone, I'll miss you."

He gave me another strange look but shook it off, "Okay, Anna. Whatever you say."

We got off the ride and walked around for a while. I let him talk—I wanted to remember his voice before he was gone. He talked about his life before he was a vampire and the things he had done now that he was one. At the castle, he was a calm and mature adult, but here, he let loose. He was a kid.

"And then there was these HUGE bears after us!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they were the biggest I've ever seen!" So Jane and I grabbed the mama bear and they took the rest. Best bear blood I've ever tasted."

"I wish I could've been there with you."

"I wish so too, you would've loved it."

We walked back home this time. It was a perfect overcast day, probably the best I've ever had in my time. It was peaceful to have a break from all the drama that went on in the castle then. We had an escape.

We walked through the sewers, and I took a look at Alec. My heart broke as I saw him walk—nearly dance—across the pathway. He was really happy. I gave him one last happy day of his life. I held back the sobs.

"Are you coming along, Anna?" I looked up and realized I had stopped.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Okay," he walked up to me and hugged me, "Thank you so much. You know, I think this is the best day I've had in years."

I grabbed him close, "I hope so, kid. I hope so."

I stumbled through the doors to the room and Marcus caught me as I almost collapsed. My sobs were loud and my limbs shaky. He picked me up and sat in a chair with me on his lap, rocking me and soothing me.

"It's okay, love."

"No, it's not okay."

"You have no other choice, you can't blame yourself."

"Yes I can, yes I can."

He pulled me in tighter as I cried.

"Marcus?"

"Yes love?"

"Why do I have to do this?" I grabbed his shirt, "What has he done to deserve this?"

Marcus just shook his head, "It's just the way things are. There's nothing to be done about it. You just have to face this. I'm sorry."

"Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to do it."

He buried his face in my neck, "I know, love, I know."

* * *

**The title is based off of the song "Time Bomb" by Dave Matthews Band. Check it out--it fits well.**


	24. Explosion

**I am so sorry. Really. I'm back, I promise.**

**This is the end of Act I to this story, much anticipated I know. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Oh, and to all of you who gave me wonderful reviews telling me what you think should happen...too bad.**

**Chapter 24: Explosion**

"Today is it, my dear. Did you have a good time yesterday?"

"Yes."

"He seemed happy when we saw him. Nice to know he had a good last day."

"Yes."

"Are you ready?"

I looked up at the three ancients with sorrow, "No."

An evil smirk crossed his face. "Good. Caius will tell you what to do."

Caius walked up to me, "Here's how this goes, Anna. Right now Alec is in his room. You will sneak up behind him and rip his head off first. He won't be able to concentrate on blocking you out if you do it that way." He nodded, "Everything else is standard. Just burn him."

"Okay."

"Go."

"Now?"

He looked at me with cold eyes, "Yes. Now. Go."

His door was open as I slowly tiptoed through the door. He was concentrating on something. I slowly snuck up behind him and realized it was a picture of him and I on the ferris wheel.

_This is too much to bear._

I bit my lip to keep from screaming as I leaned down.

_Please, Dear God, don't make me do this_.

I grabbed his head slowly.

_Your life is over, child_.

His head turned a bit, "Anna?"

Snap.

The shrieking noise emitted from his mouth, the ripping of his head, and the sound it made as it made the ground was too much. I put my hands up to my mouth as I watched it roll. The eyes stared at me in horror.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I shrieked as I ripped limbs off the beheaded body. My sobs were painful; my mind was red with fury as I finished it off. The pieces were in a pile, the head on the top.

"Why?" His head croaked in horror. It let out a sob.

I started crying, "I'm so sorry." I lit the match and dashed out of the room, picture in hand.

I ran blindly out of the burning room and dashed to a random hallway. I fell to the ground and couldn't get up. The pain of it all was just too much.

Another shriek.

"ALEC! ALEC!" Jane rushed out of the room and made a mad dash for me. Two of the guards tackled her down as I dashed to my room.

I had to get out of there. I'd grab Marcus' and my stuff and we'd leave somewhere, just until the fury had calmed. I used my mind to grab the clothing and put it in a bag for me. Running to the window, my locket fell off.

My mother's locket.

I jumped under the bed for it and blindly put it on. I opened my eyes and saw something.

A small wooden triangle.

I picked it up and sat on the bed, keeping my mind packing as I stared at the pic.

No, Marcus would not come with me. No, I would never come back.

Because in that small wooden D I saw someone I had forgotten.

_Daniel_.

My memories flooded through me quickly. The moment I met him, the moment I left for Volterra, everything.

_No_.

"Anna!" Marcus rushed through the doors and my mind got lost. My bags dropped to the floor. He froze when he saw the pic in my hand.

"Marcus," I whispered, and faced the D to him.

His eyes turned to pain, and he looked at me, "Him?"

I nodded.

"He's human, Anna."

"Yes."

He looked away, "Where are you going?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I can't stay here."

"Yes you can,"

"No."

"I'll protect you."

"It won't matter."

"You don't need to do this!" He was yelling now.

I shook my head, "And my other option? Staying here? With a girl out to kill me and a man who could never love me was much as he loves his dead wife?!"

Silence.

"Anna," His eyes were black and pained. It broke my heart. I jumped up and ran into his arms.

"Don't leave me."

The words stung.

I looked up at him, and then to the pic, "You love her more, you know that."

"Please."

"I need him, Marcus. He's my Didyme."

He held me tighter.

"You have to understand, Marcus."

He nodded, "I do."

"This is goodbye."

"No."

"I'm sorry."

He looked into my eyes and sighed, "Okay. But let me at least give you something." He grabbed his ruby ring off his hand and put it on my finger. "Wear it always."

I held him as tight as I could, "I promise."

"I love you."

"I know."

He kissed my forehead before letting me go, "Now go," He said, "You're running out of time."

I nodded and grabbed my bags. I looked at him one last time, standing there with his arms outstretched to me. I closed my eyes and ran. Bursting through the doors, running through the sewers, and busting out into the dark streets. I was running.

Running to escape.

Running to live.

Running to find my Daniel.

**End of Act I**


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